That's Why They Call It the Present
by Luna Goldsun
Summary: The road to redemption is a difficult one to follow. Everyone has their own struggles to overcome, even the Dragon Warrior himself, and some, like Tai Lung, need all the help they can get. How they will overcome is anyone's guess.
1. Prologue: Tai Lung

_That's Why They Call It the Present_

Disclaimer and Author's note: I claim no ownership to _Kung Fu Panda_, all copyrights belong to Dreamworks Pictures. Any characters not seen in the movie are all © the author, and must not be used without express permission of said author.

Rated T, just to be safe.

* * *

Prologue: Tai Lung

* * *

His whole body was aflame. At least it felt like it. In this blackness, this endless expanse where time and space were non existent, he was hardly aware of himself. Who was he? Where was this place, whatever it was? In the first few minutes, what felt like a thousand years to him, it was sweet bliss, where there was neither present, past, nor future. He was in bliss, because he felt nothing, was aware of nothing, like meditation in reverse.

The pain is what brought him out of this primordial fog. Everywhere, from his ears to the tip of a single hair on his tail burned with agony and in that instant, he let out a scream that echoed around him, ringing in his ears and then dying out into the silence.

What had happened didn't register, nor did it matter. All he cared about was getting it, the pain, to _stop._ He felt close to tears, but knew he couldn't cry. Not because he was unable to, no, far from it; he'd have to live with the shame if he did. But why did he care? What was there to be ashamed of? There was no one to see him.

Something cool settled on his brow and for a moment, there was some sweet relief. He smelled something, sniffed, and recognized it. Sage, lavender, and it registered. It was a compress. Slowly his mind began to take in his surroundings.

Wind, he heard howling wind, and it was…cool. He was laying on rock, and it chilled his back but not enough to soothe it.

What had happened to him?

Something touched his body, and he winced. The thing pressed into his fur and he realized it was a hand. Someone had put their hand over his heart. The hand then moved, pressing two fingers on the inside of his wrist. This person was checking for a pulse.

"He's still alive."

Those three words did two things. First, it surprised him. How bad a shape was he in? The pain was a giveaway, obviously, but was he truly in danger of dying?

Second, but most important, those three words slicing through the intense silence caused his ears to ring, and as those were hurting much worse now, the pounding in his head increased tenfold.

He whimpered, clenching his claws and panted. Anything to stop the pain, _will_ away the pain, make it stop, make it stop…

Two hands were on him, lifting him. He was too weak to complain, but standing was hard. Knives seemed to slash at his legs and stab into his feet, but the person helping him didn't seem to care. The person slung his arm over their shoulders and started walking.

That was when he blacked out.

* * *

The sound of footfalls on a bamboo wood floor reverberated in his ears and he groaned, stirring a little. He wasn't outside anymore, which was remarkable, and he was covered up to his chest with a warm woolen blanket that itched slightly. But what surprised him more was that he could move. The pain was gone.

He smiled. Then he winced when it hurt to smile. Well, all right, maybe the pain was not totally gone…

A cool compress was put on his forehead again, over his eyes. A voice spoke in hushed tones to him,

"Hey, you okay? Where does it hurt?"

He coughed, grunted, winced again. He opened his mouth to speak, and breath rattled down his throat like autumn leaves on the wind. He wondered with annoyance if there was anyplace on his person that _didn't _hurt.

"Everywhere," he rasped out.

The other person chuckled and removed the compress. "That doesn't surprise me. You gotta be one tough character to survive the Wu Xi finger hold. I dunno how you did it, but man, I gotta tell ya, that's hardcore."

He opened his eyes slowly, and though the room was dark, he could clearly see two eyes shining back at him. They were predatory yet calm, like twin coals smoldering in the cast iron brazier by his side. The room he was lying in was dark except for the red burning coals, but the patient could see scrolls and wall hangings of lush mountain landscapes, and one in particular with five very familiar warriors…

He blinked, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, and looked back at his apparent savior. He took in the entire figure as his own eyes adjusted to the light, and he saw to both his surprise and fear that his rescuer was a tiger.

A _big _tiger.

As in, big enough to snap him like a chopstick. Tall and sinewy, lean muscles running up his bare striped arms, the cat's thighs and biceps taut and toned. He didn't look like much of a threat, but the leopard knew full well now that he should never judge a warrior by outward appearances. This tiger, though his gaze was gentle, was also fierce, denoting something unpredictable about his character. He'd never been afraid of anything before, but this was different. He was incapacitated, weak, and defenseless. Even when he'd been immobilized in Chor-Ghom, he'd never felt this…chill, that he felt when this tiger stared him down. Something was blatantly wrong with his caretaker, and he knew it.

The tiger pulled the blanket closer around the leopard's body, tucking him into the bed. "Don't worry so much. We're not going to hurt you, unless you give us reason to. I'm going to get some more tonics for the pain. You just get some sleep. I'll check in on you later."

The tiger turned to leave the room and looked back over his shoulder at his patient. He regarded him for a moment, then shrugged and walked out, locking the door behind him.

_As if that would have done anything,_ the patient thought. He settled into the bed, his muscles and bones aching as he stared up at the ceiling. His eyes glazed over the walls, finding them Spartan, minimalist at best. On whole wall was a door covered in rice paper, the other three walls were sparsely decorated. The bed he was lying in was firm, but the folded blanket that served as a pillow was the softest…anything, he'd felt in years. He sighed and looked around. One or two scrolls were of a seascape, two more with mountains, one calendar with a stack of almanacs beneath it, and one scroll with five figures glared back at him on the wall he was directly facing.

The Furious Five.

He remembered, and when it all came flooding back, a torrent of thoughts and memories sweeping his consciousness away from the room he was in. With an ever-increasing sense of dread he realized there was no going back. He knew that now. He was done, finished, and if he ever stepped foot in that valley again, he'd most certainly be killed. Dragon Warrior or no.

He stared back at the ceiling, anxiety sinking in. What was he going to do now? One thing he was certain of, that was unquestionable, was ironically, this questionable fate that had befallen him. How had he survived what was simply not survivable?

One way or another, Tai Lung was most certainly alive.

* * *

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	2. The Valley of Peace

Standard disclaimers apply. Please read and review. Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Valley of Peace

* * *

_Twelve Months Later..._

Dawn broke in the Valley of Peace, and the sun peeked through the mountain crags surrounding the sleepy village below. Villagers began moving, opening storefronts and readying for the day ahead. Mothers scolded their children for sleeping late and struggled to get them dressed, while fathers prepared for the daily grind.

At the Jade Palace however, seven individuals had already been awake and moving for hours. One of them, however, was also hurting.

Po winced as Tigress blocked his punch, and hard. He drew back, shaking his arm as if it would get the pain to go away.

"Ow! Jeez, who spit in your cereal this morning?"

Tigress rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She twisted her back, hearing an audible 'pop'; she sighed. "I guess I didn't sleep well last night."

"So take a break, Shifu won't mind!"

Tigress shook her head, and resumed her fighting stance. "_Oh_ no, Master Shifu told me to train you, and I'm doing just that."

"Aren't you the least bit hungry?"

"You just ate two hours ago!" she said incredulously.

"Yeah, _hours_…"

"Po, it was _not_ that long ago…"

"For you, maybe! You don't eat a whole lot and yet you've still got energy!"

"For heaven's sake," she groaned. Then an idea hit her. "Wait, that's it."

"Huh? What's it?" he asked, massaging his aching wrist.

"When I was little, I had the same problem—Master said I had the 'metabolism of a hummingbird', so I needed to eat a lot. I learned how to get around that."

"Really? How?"

"Meditation." She arched an eyebrow when he stared back at her, giving her a look that said "you can't be serious."

"And lots of protein at every meal," she added.

"That'll work. So…"

She sighed, shaking her head and smiling a little, "Do you want to go get breakfast…again?"

"Thought you'd never ask!" he said cheerily. Tigress grinned, waving him along.

"Alright Panda, I'll be nice just this once…"

"C'mon, Tigress. It's been a full year since I defeated Tai Lung—"

"And you did 'awesome' by the way," she smirked.

"I _did_ do awesome! But that's not my point. My point is, you've actually been, well, _nice_ to me ever since then."

"And?"

"Why?"

She stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to the main house, which held the kitchen and dormitory. She focused her gold and ruby eyes on the rotund compatriot and thought about his question.

"I don't know," she said finally. "For all intents and purposes, I should still be bitter. I'm not the Dragon Warrior, even though I trained my entire life for it…"

He listened patiently; she liked that about him, she had to admit. If something was irritating her, he was the only one brave, or stupid enough, to ask what was bothering her. Everyone else left her be, including Shifu. Po listened, and sometimes understood.

"…And _you_ were able to do something I couldn't do," she continued. "Try as I might, I could not defeat Tai Lung; I guess, when I think about it, I was too weak."

"No, you _aren't_ weak, Tigress, you're the strongest person I know, next to Shifu," he said, patting her shoulder with his large paw. "The way I see it, you were stressed, because of me, and you let it all bother you too much. I mean, you wanted to make Master Shifu proud, and maybe that distracted you."

"I've always wanted to make him proud…"

"And so did Tai Lung."

She hadn't thought about that. Maybe _that's_ why Oogway didn't choose her. What if she had the same darkness in her that the snow leopard had? She scoffed at herself. Impossible. She was nothing like him at all. At least she hoped not…

"Tigress?"

She snapped herself out of her reverie. "What?"

"What're you in the mood for?"

"Oh, I don't know…some fruit?"

Po rolled his eyes. "Come on…" he goaded. "You gotta have something to stick to your ribs, to last you until lunch or…whenever it is you eat."

She smiled wryly, "I'm not such a food connoisseur as you are, oh Master Panda. You decide. Surprise me."

Po laughed maniacally, and Tigress regretted saying that. "Oh I will! I know just the thing, you'll love it!"

She yelped as he grabbed her paw and nearly dragged her up the first five stairs before she caught up. A flash of mischief shone in her eyes. "Race you to the top!"

"Oh, now, that's _not_ fair!" he protested, but she was long gone, jumping from rock to rock, pouncing onto a tree branch and swinging herself from it like a gymnast on the uneven bars. She reached the top in no time, but Po was still lagging a little bit behind. She smiled, taking in a deep breath. That had felt good. There was something about the Panda that made her feel young again, gleeful like a little kid. Maybe it was because he was a big kid himself.

_Not as much anymore,_ she thought. Over the past year, his training had helped him shed a few pounds, but he was still the "cute pudgy roly poly we all know and love" as Viper had put it. It made sense. All the strength training gave him muscle he'd never had before, and the flabbiness, while not gone, was lessened.

None of that mattered anymore. Po was as close to a brother as Tigress would ever get, and over time, she and Po became as close as two friends could be.

It had started with Shifu's request that she help train Po in strength and agility; all of the Furious Five began a training regime with him. Monkey worked with Po in the mornings, after his session with Tigress, to develop his motor functions and acrobatic abilities; Crane had his work cut out for him, at first, working on the panda's balance, but Po got better with practice. Mantis was usually relegated to developing speed and exactness in movements; Viper drilled him on the explosive striking moves her style was known for.

As for Master Shifu, he still routinely took Po on a ten mile hike to the Sacred Pool of Tears for training.

Yes, what a difference a year could make.

Po finally made it to the top, but he was considerably less winded than he'd been a year ago. "Oh man, don't…do that next time. I still—oh geez, _cramp_—can't keep up."

Tigress helped him straighten himself up. "Easy there. Did you stretch at all before we began?"

"Um, a little?"

She sighed, "Let's do a little more before we eat…" she blushed when her stomach growled loudly. Placing a hand over her stomach, she smiled sheepishly at him, who was smiling knowingly.

"Or…after?" he offered.

"Okay, fine, _after_."

* * *

The rest of the Five were already sitting in the kitchen when they arrived. Shifu sat at the head of the table, sipping tea. It was now a habit he made sure to follow, to dine with his students. He regretted not doing so long before then, but, like everyone else in the Jade Palace, Po's presence had changed him.

"So, fat one," he said, as if it were an honorific. "You are late today."

"My fault, Master," Tigress said, taking her seat directly adjacent to him. "We were sparring and lost track of time."

"How is he improving?"

"Very well, Master."

Po beamed at her and she gave him a furtive wink. The panda set about making breakfast for the new—if not dysfunctional—family he'd attained. He still visited his father from time to time, but most of his free time had been spent training. The other six occupants of the Jade Palace did grace Mr. Ping's noodle shop during New Year's festival; the goose was overjoyed to have such famous patrons and started putting so many things "on the house" Po had to stop him.

"Here we are, everybody, eat up!" the panda said, setting bowls of rice porridge with peach slices in front of everyone. Shifu nodded gratefully and began eating after his students dug in. Once Viper had brewed more tea the "family" resumed their talking. Mantis and Monkey were comparing techniques and what would work better in what situation while Viper gossiped with Tigress over some silly matter, the feline nodding and "mm-hmm"ing every so often. Crane now took his meals quietly, since now his role as "Den mother" and keeping the other four from going at each other's throats had been lessened. There were still spats every now and then.

_But_, Shifu thought, _nothing an afternoon in the training hall couldn't help._

He sat back in his chair and gazed over the table. How could he have missed out on this? The red panda had trained all of these warriors—except for Po—since childhood, and he couldn't imagine how many wasted chances he'd had. He assumed treating them like he'd treated Tai Lung would only reap the same results. Distance: that was the new policy.

But how much had he missed out on?

Po had started pestering him about taking his meals alone in the comfort of his own room about nine months previous. The nagging became so aggravating, the Furious Five wondered if Po had a death wish. Once the kung fu master conceded to just one night, that one night turned into a week, then a month, and now, coming on a year.

The things he learned from their talks! He never knew Crane was a gifted calligraphist and watercolor artist, or that Monkey knew how to heal with herbs, or that Viper had always been a tumbler when she was just a baby and irritated her parents to no end with her rambunctious nature. Over time too, he saw a friendship develop between Tigress and Po, the last thing anyone expected. What had started in animosity evolved to mutual respect, and finally camaraderie.

In one year, he had learned more about his students than he had ever known before, and from simply sitting down and enjoying meals with them. He still acted austere and stern, but it was only a front, and they all knew it. But, for the sake of respect and normalcy, that was the way it stayed, the students only speaking to the master unless they were spoken to first.

"…and there's this new place that opened up right by your father's place, a couple months ago," Viper said. Shifu only caught the tail end of it, but he listened carefully to the rest.

"Really? Where at?"

"Just down the street. Zeng was telling me about it this morning, after he came back from a delivery. Your dad doesn't sound too happy."

"Hey, as long as they're not selling noodles, there shouldn't be a problem," Po said, spooning the rest of his breakfast into his mouth.

Viper shook her head. "From what I hear, its dim sum and dumplings…I forget what the name is…"

"_Aunt Wu's Dim Sum and Then Some_," Crane said. The table stared at him, and he replied, "I saw the sign going up when I took my daily rounds around the valley."

"Dim sum? There hasn't been a good place for it in ages," Monkey said.

Viper giggled. "The chef's supposed to be pretty cute, too."

Tigress and Shifu looked at each other then rolled their eyes. There was Viper being Viper. "Tigress, I think we should go check it out!"

The feline scraped the bottom of her bowl for more, until Po gave her another ladle-full of the delicious porridge. "While that _is_ tempting, I'm not going down to the valley just to ogle some cook."

"Chef," Po and Viper corrected.

"Whatever."

"Hey, here's a crazy thought," Mantis said. "Why not just go down there for dinner tonight?"

"We go down every week to Mr. Ping's though," Monkey said. "Same day, every week, like clockwork."

"C'mon, he won't mind if we go down to another place tonight, then come back tomorrow to eat as his place, like we always do."

Viper nodded excitedly, "And if the dim sum's not any good, we can just _not_ go, you know?"

Shifu cleared his throat and all talk ended immediately. The red panda looked at each of his students, noting their expectant faces with some amusement. 'What will he say? What is his verdict?' was written on their faces. He finally smiled, "Well, if we are all feeling adventurous tonight, I don't see why not."

* * *

_Twelve months earlier:_

When Tai Lung opened his eyes, the shutters by the bed were thrown open, casting sunlight right onto his face. The sunlight was blocked by someone leaning over his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw an aged red panda and thought, _Shifu!_

But the small creature smiled. Wait. Shifu didn't smile anymore. Wait, there was something very different, the way the small panda moved, smiled, smelled—like lotus petals; this was a female. She beamed down at him, then patted his cheek tenderly.

"Well, you're a big one aren't you? Eat me out of house and home, you will," she said with a soft chuckle. She looked feeble to him, but he couldn't judge her on size alone. Shifu was maybe an inch or two taller than this female, but no less a fighter. What threw the leopard off was the _strength_ in her voice. It was soft, like a summer breeze, yet her tone demonstrated austerity in her character. _Like the calm before the storm,_ he thought.

She moved a chair over to his bed and set a tray on it. Despite her diminutive size and her age, she nimbly hopped up next to him and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sit up," she ordered, helping him. Her hands grasped his arm and pulled, and to his surprise he moved, lifted up from his lying position. She propped extra pillows up behind him to support his back, then let him settle back. She beamed.

"There, all settled, then? I need to give you some my best treatment for those wounds, then time for some soup. My nephew does an excellent job, he's quite the cook. Now lift your arm."

If he had been in a different position, the sight of this creature treating his wounds and eventually feeding him noodle soup would have been comical. His massive bulk next to her slim petite frame, they made an odd pair indeed. As he sipped on a bowl of broth, he stared down at the middle-aged red panda, who was either ignoring him or was oblivious to his attention. The whole exchange flabbergasted him. Who was this strange woman and why was she spoon feeding him?

This was just embarrassing.

Yet the whole time she just smiled and sang songs under her breath. She took out a thread and needle and stitched up open wounds with a nimbleness and dexterity that surprised him. At her age, arthritis should have been beginning to affect her joints. But here she was, graying hair pinned back and she humming songs like a young woman. When she was finished she nodded in approval at her own work.

"Now, more food. You took the broth well enough. But let me go get you some plain rice. Dalang will cook for you, something easy on the stomach; he's such a good boy."

"Your son?" he asked. His voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. How long had he been out? When was the last time he had water?

She shook her head. "Not my son, my nephew, you've met him already."

"I have?"

The door opened and the red panda turned. "Ah, Dalang, there's my boy. How is the crowd today?"

Tai Lung's eyes widened—it was the tiger from the night before.

The tiger, Dalang shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "More of a smattering, Auntie. Just got done talking with the carpenter about expanding the kitchen and dining room. I came to see how our patient's doing."

"He's sitting up, at least," she nodded at Tai Lung.

Dalang glared at the snow leopard, and stage whispered, "Not good news to the Furious Five."

"No," the red panda said sternly, hushing him immediately. "No, it is not. But we don't concern ourselves with that which is none of our business, do we?"

The tiger shut his mouth, a slightly worried look on his face. Tai Lung smirked; this kid was a hen-pecked mama's boy. Then the red panda turned her disapproving stare on _him._

Tai Lung could not explain the sense of dread that came over him at that moment as he swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. Something told him—instinct, maybe?—that she was not someone to slight.

Once the smirk fell from his face, she smiled. "Much better. I want no animosity between my boys…"

Tai Lung and Dalang shared a look. _Her boys?_

"Dalang, bring up some rice porridge would you?"

"Yes, Auntie. Should I throw in some ginger for him?"

"Yes, that would be lovely," she nodded. She waited until the door closed before smoothing out her green dress and collecting the tray.

"I'd better bring the sheets in off the line. But I will be right back," she said to Tai Lung. She patted his large hand, hers looking like a child's next to his. But she looked at him with piercing jade eyes and said with conviction,

"You and Dalang are to get along, or I will send you back to the Jade Palace, to face your destiny. Shifu won't be as merciful as I am, nor the Dragon Warrior for that matter. As long as you stay here, you have sanctuary. Betray our trust, and you _will_ die."

It wasn't a threat, it was a warning. Tai Lung felt like he'd swallowed lead. They were looking for him. And if they found him—or when—all he had to look forward to was the headsman's block.

She saw his face pale, and caressed his cheek. "Shh," she soothed. "I am no threat to you, and neither is Dalang. He's a bit…standoffish, but his heart is good. Call him Brother, he will call you Brother."

"What do I call you?"

She smiled, but this one was unlike the others; over the course of his stay, he'd become aware this red panda had many different smiles with their own little nuances. This one was like she was telling him she knew something he didn't. He didn't like that at all.

"You may call me Aunt Wu."

"Aunt Wu?"

"Or Auntie. Most people call me that—some use less polite names, I'm afraid, but that's neither here nor there, and hardly their fault."

Tai Lung arched an eyebrow. What was it with older creatures and being so damned cryptic all the time?

* * *

_Nine Months later…_

Less than year after his rescue, Tai Lung was still recovering from his injuries, but he was in much better shape than he had been. His body ached from lack of training, but it couldn't be helped. Aunt Wu (he could not bring himself to call her "Auntie") expressly forbid it. She didn't want anyone to see him; he wasn't sure why that was a problem. Every time he asked where they were located, she'd only give him that smug "I know something you don't know" smile. He hated that smile _so_ much.

Dalang wasn't much help either. The tiger, for all his brusqueness, was still a very caring individual. He came by when Auntie was busy to clean and dress the leopard's wounds and assist in some physical therapy. "Just take it easy," he kept saying. "It'll get worse before it gets better. You just need to be patient."

Patient? He _rotted_ for _twenty years_ in a literal _hell hole_. Patience was _not_ exactly a virtue he could claim.

He heard a gong sounding, then the hustle and bustle of a crowd. He cracked open an eye as the door to his own room opened, admitting Dalang. The tiger set the tray of food in front of the leopard, and rolled his shoulders.

"That's gonna have to do for today," the tiger said. "The restaurant's opening today."

"Restaurant?"

"Yeah. Aunt Wu bought property here in the Valley of Peace…" he looked perplexed at the leopard's sudden ashen pallor. "…She never told you that?"

They were _WHERE?_ Tai Lung threw open the window by his bed and looked outside, finding to his disbelief that he was, in fact, back in the Valley of Peace. The mountain that housed the Jade Palace was within full view, as was the street below, already full of curious diners.

Dalang shut and locked the shutters quickly, his face ashen. "If anyone sees you, you have no idea how deep we're in. You stay up here until we figure out what to do with you."

"If I'm such a burden," he growled, "Why did you even bother bringing me here? Feeding me, nursing me back to health?"

"It wasn't my plan," the tiger said, tying a kerchief around his head. He sighed, clearly feeling guilty for exposing the big secret, "Aunt Wu has some plan for you, but I don't know what, yet. As for me, you were dying, in the snow, on top of the coldest mountain in the entire range. I couldn't just _leave_ you there—no one's _that_ heartless."

Tai Lung thought about that last comment.

_No one's that heartless._

Or was he? The tiger had since left the room, leaving him alone with the food and his own thoughts. There was so much he didn't know, so much he wanted to know, and some things he knew he didn't want to know. Why had they saved him? Why had they brought him here? This whole situation, as far as he understood it, was insane. And the one question in the forefront of his mind, _Where am I going and why am I in this handbasket?_


	3. I Have Faith in You

See Disclaimer in Prologue. Dreamworks owns the panda, the Furious Five, Tai Lung and any characters to recognize from the movie. I own Aunt Wu, Dalang, Mei Xing and Su Lin.

* * *

Chapter 3: I Have Faith in You

* * *

Just before dusk, the Furious Five met at the bottom of the stairs, awaiting their master. Po, Mantis and Viper were easily excited by the prospect of this new culinary experience. As far as Tigress could tell, Crane and Monkey were just grateful for a second night off in the same week. She was surprised that Shifu wanted to come along, but, she reasoned, he needed to leave the Jade Palace on occasion too.

The red panda eventually met them at the valley floor, gently clasping Oogway's—now his—staff. He kept up the stern façade with his students, though he'd gotten better at showing his feelings and affections for them. He waved them along, "Let's hurry. If we get there late, we might not get in at all."

"Never thought you'd get so excited about a restaurant, Master," Po said. Tigress looked to her master, wondering the same thing. The red panda shrugged it off,

"Even I appreciate a respite from constant training. Recreation is very important…"

The Furious Five all shared a dubious look amongst them. Who was this critter and what had he done with Master Shifu? The master they knew was a real slave driver and recreation was never a high priority. At least when they knew him. How he was when Tai Lung was still his student, well, the only ones who knew were Oogway and Tai Lung, and both were long gone.

Tigress paused outside a familiar moon gate and motioned to the others before stepping in. She looked at Po, who smiled to see a teeming crowd of patrons at his father's noodle shop. At least the new business down the street wasn't hurting Mr. Ping's business.

The goose was chopping green onions when he spotted his famous patrons. "Well, hello again! I'll be with you in just a second. You're a day early, I wasn't expecting you…"

Po had to interrupt the goose; Tigress noticed it was the goose's habit to speak fast and energetically. Most of the time she liked the bird's genuine and exuberant demeanor, but oftentimes, his energy was just downright draining.

"Dad, listen, we're not eating here tonight…"

"You're not?" he sounded hurt. Po looked uncomfortable, so Crane spoke for him,

"We're dragging him to that dim sum restaurant. He wanted to come visit, but master Shifu said we should try something new…"

"We'll be back tomorrow for sure," Po assured.

Tigress spoke, "But I'll be by later tonight for some tea. Yours is the best I've ever had."

That did the trick. The sad and downtrodden expression brightened instantly. "Of course you'll be back! You're my best customers, let me know if you want anything to go!"

"We will," Po said. "Listen, Dad, we gotta get going…"

"Sooner we get there, the sooner we get back here," Shifu said, sealing the deal. He winked at Po and turned to leave. The panda bid his father a good night and followed after the group.

When they were out of earshot, Mantis high-fived the panda, "Nice save, Po."

"You guys helped. Tigress, the tea thing was a stroke of genius!"

"Oh, I'm still going back. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it."

She missed Shifu's proud expression; had she seen it, she would have known how happy he was with the way she turned out. For the time being, however, it was still a mystery. That was an issue that would have to wait for another day.

* * *

"Will you look at this place? It's a _zoo_."

"Of course it is, Mantis, it's full of animals."

"You know what I meant."

The crowd outside Aunt Wu's Dim Sum and Then Some was huddled around the main entrance, many just there to breathe in the pungent and delicious aromas. Po sniffed and smiled, "Wow, whatever that is smells really good…"

"I'm surprised you can't tell what it is," Tigress teased.

"Too many different ingredients. Otherwise, I could tell you."

The crowd parted to allow the septet into the building; it turned out the majority of people crowding around the restaurant were just there to smell the fare and glance at the menu posted in the storefront window.

The lobby was small and cramped, but lit with red lanterns. A small creature sat on a tall stool at a tall table, writing names down and crossing them off on a ledger. An abacus was by her side and she slid the little beads across at a flurry. She glanced up, smiled warmly and set down her brush.

"Welcome! My goodness, this is a pleasant surprise! Imagine, the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior, in _my_ restaurant!" She beamed, reaching for seven menus. "Follow me, please, a table just opened up.

"I'd like to personally see to your pleasure tonight," she said as she led them to a large table near the back. Shifu was right behind her, Tigress behind him, and she noticed him staring at the female red panda. The feline thought with a smirk, _Could it be that Master Shifu is developing a liking for her already?_

She had to admit that the hostess was attractive with her laugh lines and almost youthful energy. Nothing appeared to weigh on her shoulders, and she was so light on her feet, the feline had trouble hearing her footfalls.

Once everyone was seated at a nice round table, the hostess, Aunt Wu, brought a hot pot of tea to the table and set seven teacups around, gracefully pouring the hot beverage for all. Shifu still stared at her, but she didn't appear to notice.

Tigress finally leaned over to ask him, "Master? Is everything alright?"

He hushed her, and waited until Aunt Wu had walked away before whispering, "She looks familiar, but I can't quite place it."

"An old friend maybe?"

"No, no, I'd remember her if she were. I know I've never formally met her. But there's something…"

"Wow!" Mantis exclaimed. "Six dumplings for the price of four? That's a steal!"

Tigress rolled her eyes and glanced over the menu; she wrinkled her nose. Everything was either fried or drowning in soy sauce. Very fatty and potentially unhealthy. When Aunt Wu came back, the feline asked, "Is there anything on this menu that's _not_ deep fried or covered in sauce?"

"Would you like me to get the chef for you?" Wu asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes, one that Tigress missed.

"Yes please, thank you."

"Jeez, Tigress," Viper whispered, "don't be such a tough customer."

"I'm not being a tough customer, I just…"

"I understand there's an unhappy customer at this table," said a male voice, interrupting her mid-sentence.

Tigress turned to retort to his rudeness and stopped.

Those rumors Viper had mentioned about the cook—_chef_—being cute…well, the master of tiger style was happy to find those rumors could be put to rest. He was more than just "cute"—he was unnaturally beautiful for a male. Everything from the gently sloping shoulders and long graceful neck denoted him as a lover, not a fighter, but that was thrown out the window when she saw the muscular shoulders and arms that he didn't bother to hide with his sleeveless shirt. It was the light in his eyes that drew her in and took her breath away. They were a hypnotizing shade of yellow green, and his smile—that smile!—made her knees feel weak.

"Ma'am?" he asked in his deep, smooth masculine voice. Ye Gods, he was something else…

Tigress shook herself out of it, "Sorry?"

"You said you had a question."

"Oh! Right! A question…" she ignored the stares from the rest of the table. "Do you do special orders?"

He smiled genuinely, "I sure do. What're you in the mood for? Wait, let me guess…" he cocked his head to the side and studied her a moment, then pursed his lips together. What was really only a few seconds felt like a blissful eternity to Tigress as his eyes locked with hers. It had been too long for her to realize that she was crushing _big time_.

"Okay, I got it," he said, snapping her out of it. "Nothing fried, and something not drowned in a sauce, right?"

She nodded, mystified.

"Thought so. You look like someone who enjoys a nice, clean palate. So…I'm proposing this: braised tofu dumplings with fresh ginger, and steamed vegetables with a side of red beans and rice, and something a little spicy on the side. Sound good?"

She nodded again, still staring at him, "Yes, it sounds great. Thank you."

He grinned, glad the crisis was averted, and gave her a mock salute, "Whatever the lady wants, the lady gets." As he turned to leave, Tigress stopped him, "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I'm so sorry, what did you say your name was?"

He stared back at her, and by now, so was everyone in their immediate vicinity. "Uh, I didn't, and it's Dalang."

"Dalang…" she felt Viper nudge her arm and she snapped herself out of her reverie, forcing herself to be all business. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

That smile told her that he wasn't fooled. "Nice to meet you too, Master Tigress." With that, he disappeared into the back, and Tigress let out the breath she'd been holding. Wow, that was intense…

"Tigress?" Shifu asked. She snapped back to attention to see the entire table watching her closely. She stared back, feeling like she'd been caught in a trap. "Um, yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, Master. Yes, I'm perfectly alright."

"You were staring," Monkey said.

"No I wasn't," she denied, suddenly finding her chopsticks very interesting. "I was simply…being polite. Yes! Maintaining eye contact is very important for first impressions."

"Uh-huh," Viper said, clearly not fooled either. The serpent sent the feline a furtive, conspiring wink, as if to say "I told you so!"

Shifu only poured himself more tea, though he was eyeing the sake at the next table. Tigress could only imagine him thinking how good some alcohol would be right now. Truth be told, she would've wanted it too. At least if she got drunk, her actions could be understood…

As if on cue, Aunt Wu returned to the table. "I'm so sorry dear, there seems to have been a mistake…" the female red panda took the tiger's cup from the table. "Seems we got your drink mixed up with sake. I'm so sorry."

Perfect, an outlet!

"Actually, its fine. I don't mind."

"Oh, good! Would you like more perhaps? Your cup is almost empty…"

Tigress looked across the table at Shifu, then said, "Yes, the entire bottle."

She wagered it would be a long night.

* * *

It had been a long night, Tai Lung had decided. It _had _been a long night, with nothing to do but stare at four walls, which was what he'd done for the past year. He had gotten back into the habit of doing stretches and light strength training; push ups, curl ups and sit ups, anything to take his mind off the boredom and to keep in some semblance of shape. Dalang had told him to take it easy, since his injuries made it difficult to get back into shape. The tiger was too easy on him, the leopard thought, and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

As he was performing a back bend, the door to his room opened, and he straightened.

He stopped.

He expected Aunt Wu or Dalang, but he had never seen this woman before. The woman, a snow leopard like himself, stopped dead, her amber-gold eyes wide. She knew him. She recognized him. And she was going to scream.

Only one thought crossed his mind:

Oh _shit._

She dropped the linens she was carrying and opened her mouth to let out a scream, but was hushed when Dalang appeared out of nowhere and slammed his palm over her mouth.

"Mei! Mei, easy, easy, its okay, don't scream, whatever you do, _don't scream_…" he spoke softly. She still stared at Tai Lung, fear and now loathing in her eyes. Oh, she knew who he was alright, and the leopard was surprised to see that unlike the other villagers, she wasn't scared silly. She glowered at him, challenging him.

Either she was very brave or very stupid.

Dalang hissed, "I told you to listen to me! It was the second door on your left, okay? The _second door!_ We told you never to open this door unless Auntie gave you permiss—OW!" He drew his hand back as she had bitten into it. She turned on him, snarling,

"You've been harboring a dangerous criminal? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Keep your voice down!" he said firmly.

"Why should I? Everyone needs to know he's here! He's a dangerous, demented felon!"

Dalang opened his mouth to protest, and Tai Lung felt his heart hammering in his chest. It was going to happen, this woman was going to get him discovered, and get him killed.

Then Aunt Wu appeared in the doorway, angrier than he had ever seen her. She walked right up to the female leopard, yanked her down sharply and slapped her hard across the cheek. The younger lady stared in shock at her boss, who whispered fiercely, "When I brought you here you were no better off than he is. If you scream, and alert the villagers, you're tightening the noose around your own neck."

That did it. The leopard female paled, then blushed with shame, nursing the smarting cheek.

Tai Lung glared at the red panda, incensed from the display of domestic violence, "That was uncalled for!"

"You don't know her," Aunt Wu told him fiercely, "She needed that rude awakening, or she would have doomed us all. Do you understand me?" She wasn't speaking to him anymore. Her attention had shifted back to the female.

The other leopard had her back turned to him and he saw her shoulders quaking, then straighten. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good, now stand up. Dalang, get Su Lin, we might as well get this over with now that the cat's out of the bag. Mei Xing, _stand up_," she ordered. The female finally responded, standing slowly and silently, then turned to face the outlaw. Her eyes were downcast; she looked like she was fighting back tears of shame.

"Tai Lung, this is Mei Xing. She is one of the waitresses that work for me. She also has been living here a few months. A bit of a firebrand, but like Dalang…"

"Her heart is good," he finished. Wu was fond of saying that. Why did everyone have to have a good heart? At his voice, Mei Xing glanced up at him, her amber eyes boring into his. Her eyes were glistening, but still there was her unspoken challenge. Firebrand indeed.

Just then, Dalang returned, bringing a female panda in his wake. Tai Lung stared at them, then down at Wu. "Are there any more?"

Wu shook her head. "This is it. This is our family…your family. We protect each other, and love each other despite our faults. Dalang, Mei Xing, Su Lin," she nodded to the panda, "and myself, we are here to support you, protect you, and love you, just as you are."

Mei Xing let out a snort and ironic laugh before she could control the impulse. Aunt Wu glared, and the leopard stopped. Tai Lung raised an eyebrow; what was going on here?

Su Lin stepped forward, wringing her hands and looking a little nervous. "So…you're Tai Lung?"

"I am."

She smiled thinly, testing the waters to see if they were calm, or turbulent seas. "Well, it's good to finally meet you. Auntie didn't want me anywhere near you, but I wanted to help. Have you liked the food so far?" Her voice was surprisingly sweet, and she, unlike the panda he'd fought, was not very rotund at all. She was…what was the term? Ah yes, "pleasantly plump" and healthy. Not skinny like the female leopard standing stock still to his right.

"Ah, yes, its been very good…you cooked for me?" he asked curiously.

She nodded, looking to Dalang and Aunt Wu. "Yeah, but they didn't think it was safe for…well, I guess you know."

He nodded slowly. He knew what she meant. They all thought he was unstable. It was clear now, that's why he was there. That's why he was being kept prisoner here.

Aunt Wu cleared her throat. "We should be getting back to work…"

"May I stay here, Auntie?" Su Lin asked. "You and Dalang have done so much to help him, I want to do more. He won't hurt me, I'm sure."

Aunt Wu looked at Tai Lung, and for the first time he saw something he recognized, that parental instinct to protect her babies, even if it meant laying her own life on the line. He'd seen Shifu with that same expression, but that was a long time ago… All impressions he had of her until then melted away like frost in a spring thaw. Maybe she wasn't as hard as he thought…

"Leave the door open. And remember the half nelson Dalang taught you. If you need to, remember the pressure points to…"

"_Thank you_, Aunt. I'll be careful, promise," she said sweetly.

Mei Xing glanced at Tai Lung, and he returned her glare.

"I don't trust you," she said. She stepped up to him; she was a head shorter than he was, but he stepped back when she got in his face, hellfire burning in her eyes. "If you so much as misplace one hair on her, I will rip you apart."

She had one hell of a complex, he had to admit, but she also had a lot spirit. And a lot of mouth. She turned on her heel and marched out of the room, followed by Aunt Wu and Dalang, who sent Tai Lung a sympathetic look.

_I live with it everyday. I am so sorry you had to see that._

He was too.

Su Lin smiled at the leopard and clapped her hands once. "So…are you hungry?"

What was it with pandas and food? His stomach growled and probably said a few four letter words to him, and quite audibly. "Ravenous."

She beamed, her eyes crinkling, revealing deep laugh lines. "Great! Let me whip something up. Do you have any favorites?"

"Surprise me."

And surprise him she did. When she returned, the tray was piled high with everything he could have imagined. Bowls of steaming rice, mixed with vegetables, beans, and pickles. A large bowl of soup with diced tofu and scallions and dumplings the size of his fist. It all looked good, and as soon as he popped the first bite into his mouth, he was hooked. He tore into it with relish, causing her some alarm.

"Slow down! You'll make yourself sick!"

"Don't care," he said between bites. "This is the best meal I've had in years!"

Su Lin smiled and sat back, waiting for tea to steep. "Just the same, I have some mint tea here. Dalang swears by ginger, but I've always liked mint better. Did you know it's a natural stomach relaxant? And tastes better than that spicy ginger too."

He only half listened as he tore through a whole roasted fish, scraping off the scales with his claws.

"Mind the bones, please."

"Mm-hmpfh," he mumbled, moving on to the soup. She smiled and sat across from him on the floor.

"I'm glad you like it. I've worried that you're not eating enough. Looks like I was right."

He drained the soup bowl and sat back, resting his back against the bed. He sighed in satisfaction. He hadn't eaten that well since before Chor-Ghom. This panda was an _excellent_ cook…

"A few more meals like that, and I'll need to add notches to my belt," he chuckled.

She nodded, "I'll be careful not to let that happen. I know how you kung fu artists like to keep in shape."

He looked at her through half-lidded eyes, the full meal making him sleepy. He felt compelled to ask, "You knew I was here the whole time?"

Su Lin cast her big brown eyes down to the floor, fingering the hem of her green dress; he assumed the identical dresses were part of the uniform. The female leopard, what was her name? Mei Xing, that's right, she was dressed differently. She wore trousers beneath her knee-length hem, and a deep blue bodice secured around her waist with a brown sash. Su Lin was dressed the same way, though her colors were…more like spring, brighter, lighter, like fresh green grass and spring rain. Mei Xing's darker color choices reminded him more of frigid winter.

_Fits her personality,_ he thought.

"I did, I helped treat your wounds," she said. "I'd heard of the Wu Xi finger hold, but I had no idea it could…" she stopped herself, paling.

He needed to know. "How bad was it?"

She looked back at him, her brown eyes wide and brimming with tears. He wished she wouldn't, he wasn't worth her tears. "It was horrible," she whispered, shaking her head. "Just horrible…I had nightmares for weeks. I'm still amazed that you're alive."

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "Dalang said he found me on top of a mountain. How did I get there?"

The panda shook her head. "We don't know. Aunt Wu has theories, but I think the one that makes the most sense…well, I apologize in advance, but you're…a bit stubborn. Well, okay, _very_ stubborn. My guess is that you felt you had something to live for, and you weren't going to give up for anything."

_You felt you had something to live for._ Did he though?

"I don't think I do, not anymore. Look at me, I'm pushing forty and what do I have to show for my life? If I died tomorrow and met the gods at the gates to the underworld, think of all I'd have to answer to."

"Maybe the gods decided to give you a second chance?" she offered.

"If I were a god, I wouldn't give me a second chance."

"You've had a lot of time to think about this, haven't you?"

He nodded.

She sighed, then reached behind her for something. "I have something for you."

She uncovered a book, bound in green silk with embroidered bamboo branches on the cover. He took it slowly, his fingers, callused from years of training, traced over the cover. He gingerly flipped it open to the flyleaf and found it blank. He flipped a few more pages, and they were all blank. To the back cover, they were all blank.

"What is this?"

"It's a journal. I bound it myself. It's a hobby I picked up, bookmaking. It's very therapeutic. But, so is writing. I like to write poetry."

"I'm not writing poetry," he scoffed. "Do I look like a poet?"

"You never know until you try," she smiled hopefully. "I like you, Tai Lung, despite appearances. You're probably wondering why, but look at it this way. I like to believe the best in people. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and that when it comes right down to it, people are going to do the right thing."

She handed him an ink set, and some pieces of pressed charcoal. She looked at him, "Everything happens for a reason. Things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right, and people change so that we know to change too, and that we can change for the better."

He looked down at the journal in his hands and set it on the bed. "So what am I supposed to write?"

"Anything, really. Your thoughts, your feelings, memories…whatever makes you happy. Here's the trick," she whispered conspiringly. "When you write an entry, don't reread it right away. Wait a few months, then reread it. You'll see how much you've changed."

"I won't change."

"That's not true."

"How do you know?"

Her answer was simple and hopeful, but it hit him in a way he wasn't expecting.

"Because I have faith in you."

She left him with that concept, taking the dirty dishes downstairs to the kitchen; she came back with an extra blanket, telling him it would be chillier than usual that evening. He only nodded dumbly, extinguishing the candle by his bed and climbing in under the covers. He wasn't tired, far from it. His mind just wouldn't shut off. He'd gone from fearing discovery and death to being blown away by five simple words: "I have faith in you."

* * *

I want to personally thank everyone who reviewed! You all are so sweet, and your words have brought me a lot of confidence. Thank you!


	4. Ah, Minty Fresh

Wow, Four chapters in under a week. Damn I'm good. Not too shabby for a six-month long writer's block. Guess I just needed someone to kung fu kick me to get back to writing. Many thanks to all who reviewed! Standard Disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter 3: Ah, Minty Fresh

* * *

_Earlier…_

"I was _not_ staring," Tigress said crossly, arms crossed over her chest.

"You couldn't take your eyes off him," Monkey said with a sing-song tone while Mantis laughed. Crane looked like he was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Viper was just giddy,

"I said he was cute, didn't I? And he can cook! What more could you want?"

"Oh I don't know," Tigress said wryly, "a man who can also fight?"

"Jeez, you're so picky!" the serpent said.

"She's not picky," Shifu said, "My student just knows what she wants."

Tigress sent him a grateful look as she scraped the bottom of her bowl for the last grains of rice. While the other Five teased her for her obvious lack of tact, Po patted her shoulder,

"Hey, its okay. Honestly, I understand…"

"You understand because you've drooled over an attractive male tiger?" Mantis quipped, making the table chuckle. Tigress' cheeks flared up red hot, and Po settled the issue by standing and taking her arm.

"Come on," he said, "Let's get some fresh air."

"Po, that isn't necessary…"

"Is something wrong?" They turned and found Aunt Wu standing there, looking at them quizzically, a dish-laden tray in her hands. Po glanced at Tigress, then said, "Just needs some fresh air…."

"Oh, is she ill?"

Tigress decided to lie, if it meant getting out of this uncomfortable position. She said "Yes" at the same time Po said "No". They shared a sidelong glance, and then chorused, "A little."

"Oh you poor dear. It wasn't the food was it?"

"No, no it wasn't, the food was fine," she assured. "I just felt…a little lightheaded."

"No surprise," Aunt Wu said. "Considering how much sake you drank."

Sake? Oh, right, she'd had…how much had she drank that night? She looked over to the table and saw the sake bottle at her place, remembering it was only a quarter full. Had she really drank all that by herself?

"Yes, I suppose that makes sense…I don't drink often…" she trailed off when she saw Po's expression. "Fine, I don't drink at all…" then she looked a little green, and felt like she'd be ill.

She excused herself and rushed outside, breathing in deeply, gulping down fresh air. It didn't do the trick. No, she was _not_ going to be physically ill in public. That was _not _happening. She leaned against the wall, taking deep meditative breaths.

Now she remembered why she didn't drink. But for pity's sake, Master Tigress, a master of kung fu, known as a strong and heroic figure throughout China…was a lightweight. She took on Tai Lung and got dozens of hits on him, she had fought whole armies alongside her friends, faced terrifying foes and was stronger than most people could dream of. And she was about to be very ill in an alley like a slopping drunk, after only three shots. This couldn't get anymore humiliating.

"Master Tigress?" Dalang asked.

Damn.

She closed her eyes tightly. _Pretend he's not there, pretend he's not there, he'll go away…_

"Hey, are you alright? You look pale."

"I'm fine," she said crossly.

He wasn't leaving. She wanted to run. Any man that could make her feel weak at the knees with just a look was truly a worthy adversary, but she was in no shape to take him on right now. And he made her want to run away. He didn't look so terrifying; Tigress should not have been afraid of him. Yet here she was, stammering, knees buckling, heart racing and forehead perspiring, every instinct telling her to get out of there.

She jumped when he laid his hand on her arm. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, getting defensive. She ultimately regretted being so aggressive. His expressive eyes softened, and she regretted being the cause of the hurt expression.

"I'm, I'm not feeling well," she stammered, as an apology.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Did you like the food at least?"

Urk. Oh hell, he had to mention… "Don't mention food," she said, covering her mouth.

"Oh!" he realized. He reacted quickly, tearing off down the alley, and with a running start, used his foot to push himself off the back wall, and hoisted himself up the first floor overhang to a second floor window.

Tigress thought she was imagining things. Did he really just jump up a whole story and perform a perfect split ten feet off the ground…to reach a _potted plant_?

He jumped down, landing in a crouch, then somersaulted to ease the landing on his knees. He straightened up nimbly and gracefully, and smiled, handing her a couple sprigs.

"Try chewing on that for a minute. I'll get you some water. You want to sit down?"

She shook her head. That simple act made her feel even more nauseous. She started chewing like mad on the leaves. Mint leaves. She closed her eyes and remembered when she was a little girl, how her mother used to treat her upset stomach by chewing mint leaves and drinking a very light tea. It worked every time. How could he have known that?

"Tigress!" Viper called. "Are you alright?"

"I will be," she said quickly, chewing faster as if that would make the extract work faster. _Don't get sick, don't get sick…_

When Shifu rounded the corner she knew she was done for. She would never hear the end of this. Lack of restraint, showed a lack of discipline, she should be ashamed of herself…

But he just looked worried. "Tigress, sit down," he said. She obeyed, starting to feel a little better already. She still felt like losing the last three meals she'd enjoyed, but at least she was out of the danger zone. Shifu laid a hand over her head, looking into her eyes. Then he did something that surprised her: he chuckled.

"We'll have to keep sake away from you from now on, it seems."

"Master, please," Po begged. "She feels bad enough already…"

Dalang returned with cool fresh water from the well in the back garden, and she took the cup gratefully. She began sipping slowly, letting the water carry the extract down to her stomach. Closing her eyes and taking deep breaths, she only half-listened to the short conversation Shifu and Dalang had.

"…mint plant we grow here, just in case."

"Your knowledge of herbs is impressive."

"Not really, my assistant cook is amazing, she can treat anything—I just know what tastes good together."

Shifu nodded, patting Tigress' shoulder. "Just the same, thank you for looking out for her."

"It's my pleasure—I mean!" he corrected himself, under the keen stare of the kung fu master. "I mean, it's _not _a pleasure that she's ill, of course, but it…that is…I'm happy to help," he finished lamely.

"Right."

Aunt Wu rounded the corner, looking worried. "The poor dear, is she alright?"

"She's fine, Auntie," Dalang said, "I followed the procedure."

"Oh good!"

"I might have to put mint tea on the menu from now on," he remarked.

"A good idea," she nodded absently, helping Tigress to stand. He'd been kidding, but that didn't matter now. The tiger took her other hand, leading her over to her friends.

"Listen, Master Tigress…" he looked at her worriedly. "I feel bad about this, let me make it up to you…"

"That's alright," she shooed him away, still feeling uneasy, her stomach doing flip flops all over again.

"I insist. A free dinner? Anything you want, I'll make. Completely on the house…"

Shifu made the wise decision to hand her over to Po and Crane, who walked on either side of her, guiding her down the street. The red panda turned to the tall tiger and nodded. "I'll let her think about it, and get back to you. Madam," he turned to Aunt Wu and bowed curtly, "Thank you for helping us this evening."

She returned the bow gracefully, smiling, "It was my pleasure, Master Shifu."

He grunted and turned to follow his students.

* * *

"Oh dear, she doesn't look well at all!" Mr. Ping said when he saw Tigress. "Po, you'd better get her to bed…"

"We'll take care of it, Ping," Shifu said. "While everyone else will return to the Jade Palace, I am still in the mood for your famous tea."

When the goose had gone off to brew a pot, he turned to Tigress, then climbed to the top of his staff to feel her forehead. "Hmm, still warm. Monkey, give her some ginger wafers when you get to the dormitories, have her get some sleep."

Tigress hid her face shamefully, feeling her cheeks get hot when Shifu whispered, "We'll talk about this tomorrow."

Great. Just what she needed, a hangover and a lecture in the same morning, it couldn't get any better. Po wrapped her arm around his shoulders and half-carried her up the stairs.

Shifu sighed and sat at the table closest to the noodle counter. He had been around the block long enough to know why Tigress had reacted the way she did. He smiled slightly. She was taken with that tiger. Whatever he thought of the situation, though, he was sure she was giving herself a hard enough time.

The Swinging Clubs of Oblivion would likely be _sent_ to oblivion ten times over tomorrow alone. If there was one thing about Tigress that bothered him, it was how hard she was on herself. No, he wouldn't be as bad as she thought he'd be. His students were the closest thing to children he would ever have, and Tigress was most certainly the prized daughter. The perfectionist daughter, anyway.

He sighed tiredly, nodding at Mr. Ping, who brought out a mahjong board along with the tea.

"I thought this would be nice tonight," the goose said.

"Yes," Shifu said, pouring himself a cup. "Good tea, and a worthy opponent for mahjong. I have yet to challenge your son."

"Oh, Po is a good player, but he still has lots to learn," he said, laying out the pieces. As the two aged men began to play, they chatted idly over small talk: the weather, village gossip and the like, before the conversation came right back to…

"Po," Mr. Ping said, "He seems to have gotten quite close to your Tigress."

Shifu actually laughed at the absurdity. "That…hah! That, sir, is not going to happen. When they met, she was at his throat the whole time. The fact they are as close as they are now is nothing short of a miracle."

"Speaking of miracles, do you think she made it back okay?"

Shifu glanced up to the Jade Palace and smiled thinly, "She may have gotten sick once by now, but she'll bounce back and begin training tomorrow morning, as always."

"Tough cookie, isn't she?"

"You don't know the half of it."

They settled back into silence until Shifu bested Mr. Ping. The goose shook the panda's hand. "A worthy match with a worthy opponent."

"Agreed," the master nodded. "Thank you for the tea. I must be getting home."

"And I best start preparing the shop for the morning. I will see you again tomorrow?"

Shifu stood, brushing dust off his sleeves, "Absolutely. We will see you tomorrow, same time as always."

As Shifu turned to leave, he paused, waiting for what he was sure to come. Finally, he heard the goose sigh,

"I am proud of him, you know."

"I know."

"But I still wished there would be someone to take over the noodle restaurant. I won't be here forever, and this is a family business."

"There's no reason Po can't keep a restaurant on the side."

"Bah!" the goose scoffed. "He is the Dragon Warrior! Warriors don't keep restaurants, and do other boring things like that. It's unthinkable! But…I suppose I'll figure out something."

Shifu paused, then nodded. "I have faith that you will. Good night, Mr. Ping."

"You too, Master Shifu."

* * *

_Later that night…_

Across town, the dim sum shop finally closed, with Aunt Wu instructing the new waitstaff to close and lock the shutters tight. She sent them off to their homes before she walked inside and locked the door. Then she dead-bolted it, three times, before she was satisfied.

The red panda walked through the dining area, swept clean and mopped, dirty linens piled up for washing the next day. Already the third month into her new venture, and business couldn't have been better!

She picked up the ledger and abacus before moving to the kitchen. The large wooden table in the middle of the large room was cleared off and clean, lit with a single lantern. When she sat down, Su Lin walked in, carrying her own lantern. The panda looked back up the stairs and sighed.

"He went to bed very early tonight."

"He's been stretching and exercising, like I told him not to do," Aunt Wu said crossly.

"I don't think that's it," the sweetheart of a panda said, sliding into a seat across from her. Mei Xing swept into the room with an empty basket, ready to grab table linens for washing.

"Mei Xing, leave those for morning. Take a rest, get something to eat."

The female leopard sighed tiredly, massaging a shoulder, "I think I pulled a muscle."

"It's your own fault," Wu said, checking the numbers, "You work yourself too hard. Let some of the other girls take over once in a while."

"Aunt, those girls don't know what they're doing."

"And Miss Big-City Girl knows more than these plebeians, hmm?"

Mei Xing shut her mouth, too tired to argue.

Dalang broke up the tense situation with food. "Leftovers! I got red beans and rice, some shrimp dumplings and egg drop soup."

"Thank heaven," the leopard smiled and took up a pair of chopsticks. Dalang held a bowl just out of her reach, whispering, "You are sworn to secrecy, remember?"

She wondered what he meant, then recalled their sleeping guest. She snatched her bowl from him, "And so are you, Tiger."

He knew exactly what she meant.

The four of them sat down together and ate in silence, Aunt Wu looking over the finances and recording every last coin. Dalang shoveled the food into his mouth, forgoing any table manners in an effort to appease his roaring stomach. The two females on the other hand were much slower, more thoughtful, and both occasionally looked up the stairs towards Tai Lung's room.

Aunt Wu finally put her ledger away. She cleared her throat and looked at her "children" seriously. "We need to have a chat about him," she motioned to the upstairs, and their guest.

"I'll say," Mei Xing said tartly. She didn't flinch when Wu glared at her.

"You could have ruined everything tonight," Wu admonished her. "For him, and all of us!"

"Well excuse me for being kept in the dark about a psychotic lunatic being held _in our attic,_" the feline firecracker spat.

"He's not psychotic, Mei," Su Lin said. "When I talked to him, he seemed…normal."

"Oh please, spare me! He went on a rampage _twice_ and _for the same reason_. He's unhinged, and would probably kill us in our sleep."

"_I'm_ more likely to do that than he is," Dalang said darkly. Su Lin looked frightened and Mei Xing took a deep breath, her heart flying up to her throat. "Which reminds me," the tiger continued, "When's he going to learn about us? He's been here a year, hasn't gotten out, no fresh air or exercise, and he didn't even know where we were located until three months ago!"

"What's your point?" Aunt Wu asked.

Now, Dalang was a very patient tiger, though that wasn't saying much. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, let me try this again…"

Mei Xing beat him to the punch in her usual eloquent way: "When in the hell is he leaving?"

"Never."

"What?" the other three gaped.

"Auntie, you can't be serious!" Su Lin cried

"He's practically a prisoner all over again…" Dalang reasoned.

"I'm not living in the same house as an ex-convict!" Mei yelled.

Aunt Wu crossed her arms, "Then move out. The fact of the matter is, I have a plan for him. This plan will take time to implement, but it will work."

"How do you know?" Mei Xing asked.

"It worked for Dalang," she said.

The tiger caught on immediately. He slowly set down his bowl of beans, rice and pickles, staring at the tiny creature. "You…you're trying that, with _him_?! Auntie, normally I agree with whatever plans you've concocted, but aren't we playing with fire here?"

"He hasn't burned down this house yet, my money's on that he won't do it at all. He needs to come to trust us first. Dalang, Su Lin, you two have already done marvelously. Mei…" she paused, looking for the right way to say it. "Well, there's room for improvement."

"I'll improve once he's gone," the leopard said, crossing her arms.

"Which may be sooner than we think," the red panda said. She reached inside her robe and pulled out an almanac and flipped through it.

Mei Xing groaned, "Auntie, I highly doubt that reading his horoscope will do any good."

"It won't do a darned thing until I figure out his birth chart."

Dalang and Mei Xing shared a look and rolled their eyes. Astrology, what a crock! Su Lin, who loved this sort of thing, was all ears.

"Do we know when he was born?"

"We have an idea, and talking with the villagers has given me some information: he was born in the year of the rooster, in the middle of the ninth month. Time of birth is impossible to tell at this point."

"So how did you know the other stuff?" Mei asked, biting into an apple.

"The different variables. He will be thirty-nine this year, so go back thirty-nine years, and there is the year of the rooster: associated with fortune, courage, goodness, confidence and military valor. But, they can also be vain, thoughtless and pretentious."

"That sounds more like him," Mei muttered. Wu continued, "And the ninth month of the year, in late fall, because he was about two months old, give or take a couple days, when he was abandoned at the Jade Palace…"

"How did you…"

"I have my sources," the red panda said cryptically. Her kids sighed and accepted it. She liked keeping secrets, so they let her do it.

After consulting the chart, she nodded slightly. "Alright. Tomorrow, we begin the procedures. He will start working here, in the kitchen, taking over Mei's duty."

The female leopard pumped her fists into the air, "Woo-hoo!"

"Su Lin, you will be his keeper from now on, making sure he eats well, but also does _minimal_ exercise."

"Any reason why? He's, well, horribly out of shape, and his clothes are in tatters!" the panda exclaimed.

Aunt Wu waved dismissively, "Do what you want, handle it how you like. He may come to trust you sooner than anyone else. Get on his good side, maybe we can bring that side of him out more. Dalang," she turned to the tiger, who was finishing off his cup of water.

"Mmph?"

"I'll be making him your apprentice in two weeks."

The tiger did a spit-take. Mei jumped out of the way just in time, her tail frizzing up in surprise. Dalang stared at the matron with a quizzical expression.

"You…want him to learn how to cook?"

"Yes."

"From me?"

"Of course."

"But he's doing…"

"At first, yes, he will. He needs to learn humility. If that means being humili_ated_, then so be it. His pride is what got him into trouble before; once that's stripped away, everything else will be easy."

"I don't know," Dalang said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You had it pretty easy with me. I have a feeling that rooster's explosive temper will flare up if we're not careful."

"And if it does, you know how to handle it."

"Aunt, I'm not going to kill him!"

"Who said that would be necessary?"

"But what if it is?" Mei Xing asked darkly. "What if it _is_ necessary, what will you do then?"

"You think I will give up hope on him?" the old woman asked stubbornly. "When I have yet to give up on any of you?"

This silenced all further argument.

* * *

That's it for now, until the weekend. Enjoy!


	5. A Little Bit of Kindness

KFP5

Disclaimer: All characters recognized from the movie are © Dreamworks Pictures, and I claim no ownership. The OCs all belong to me, so please don't use them without my permission. Thank you.

* * *

Chapter 4: A Little Bit of Kindness

* * *

Su Lin was the earliest riser that morning, a habit many years in the making. She began her day quietly, washing her face in the washbasin by her bed. The panda dressed in a clean green dress before tying an apron around her plump waist and a kerchief over her head. She had enough time left after starting the fires in the kitchen to mend some clothes, which rested in a wrinkled pile by the back door, to the garden, where more clothes were out on the line to dry. As she rummaged through the pile, she found something she was looking for and took it out. She sat herself down at the massive kitchen table, needle and notions in hand, and got to work.

Dalang came down the stairs, pulling on a shirt and yawning widely. "Man, I slept bad last night."

"Hmm," she hummed, concentrating on her work.

"Oh, thanks for starting up the stoves, Su, you didn't have to do that."

"My pleasure."

"Watcha workin' on?"

"Nothing really, mending, trying to salvage these for someone…Do you mind if I take this shirt?" she held up an off-white shirt with black frog ties up the middle. Dalang made a face, arching an eyebrow.

"Take it!" he said, putting on a clean apron to cook breakfast. "I can't see a better use for it than dish towels anyway."

"I can make it wearable. It just needs modifications…"

"You're not seriously wearing that…"

"It's not for me," she said, deciding to cut off the tattered, scorch-marked sleeves. The panda was reminded why Dalang never wore sleeves anymore; they almost always caught on fire.

The tiger sighed, knowing who it was meant for. "Su, the guy deserves better than hand-me-downs. He's a virtual prisoner…"

"Not for long."

"Oh? You planning something?" he asked, tossing some rice into a pot of boiling water to make _congee_, a thick rice porridge. He thought for a moment, then decided to wait on it. "Matter of fact…once you're done, go wake him. I want him to make breakfast."

"Congee? But that's so simple to make."

"Exactly, there's no way he can screw it up."

Su shook her head, sewing up a hem for the sleeves she had cut off at the shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to the stairs, then gave him a small hand signal; he responded in kind. Of all Aunt Wu's children, only Dalang could hear her coming. The signal was to warn Su Lin.

"I'm going to get him training again."

Dalang stared at her, she assumed he was aghast. He surprised her when he started laughing. "HA! Are you serious?"

"What's so funny?" she pouted.

The tiger winked, whispering, "Great minds think alike."Th

The panda paused, then saw the small, sly smile ghosting the tiger's lips. "Cooking?"

"Why not?"

"That's brilliant!"

Dalang shrugged, grinning, "What can I say? I am _just_ that brilliant!"

Su Lin rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and picked up some embroidery thread. "What color?"

"Indigo," he answered.

"Those aren't a rooster's auspicious colors," she said, sounding concerned. Dalang sighed, chopping some fruit for the porridge. "It matches the trousers he already has."

"Oh. Good idea."

"Like I said, I'm pretty much awesome." He ducked and laughed as she threw a ball of cloth at him. "Ha!" He got back to work, remarking off hand, "You know Su, you're almost too kind for your own good."

"Not really," she said, finishing the embroidery on the shirt. She had stitched a simple border around the collar, and straight columns of characters around the border. "My mama used to say that the deeds of this life pass over into the next. Treat each other well in this life, and you reap the rewards in the next."

He nodded, cracking eggs open on a skillet. "Makes sense. Not much good it'll do for me…"

She looked up at him, but he only sent her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll get by. You better go wake him before Aunt gets down here. If he's not working by the time she gets down here, he'll be in hot water."

Su Lin made quick work of the clothes, then quickly hemmed the second pair of trousers she'd found. She held them up and nodded, "Okay, that'll do for now."

"Those are very nice."

"Thanks, Aunt—AUNT!" Su Lin jumped; so did Dalang, who was in the midst of cracking an egg. In one deftly quick movement, he tore the skillet from the stove, flipped it around in his hand, reaching for the raw egg, which fell on the sizzling pan in a perfect circle. He breathed a sigh of relief and allowed himself a smile. _I still got it…_

Su Lin was blushing bright red, yet still looked worried. Aunt Wu had snuck up on her, and was now investigating the panda's handiwork; the red panda instantly knew who they were for.

"He deserves something better than these—they're practically rags."

"Oh I know," she said gently. "I just need to know if these fit so I can figure out how much material to buy at the market. I'll go later this week, if that's alright."

Aunt Wu looked profoundly touched at Su's kindness. The red panda's hand rested on "her girl's" knee and she sighed happily. "A fine idea…perhaps I should pick up my embroidery needles again…"

Su Lin hugged Wu then neatly folded the mended clothes. She put them on top of a basket of laundry, and saw Mei Xing just as the snow leopard was leaving her room. "Morning, Mei."

"Mornin," she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "Dalang cooking yet?"

"He's started. Auntie got up late today…"

"No she didn't. She was 'consulting'…" the leopard said derisively, rolling her amber eyes. "I don't understand her, she seems so rational and intelligent, and then she does things like divination and adopting felons."

"_Former_ felon," the panda reminded her. "He's turning his life around."

"Leopard's don't change their spots," Mei Xing said, using an age-old adage.

Su Lin's big brown eyes fixed on Mei's, and she looked at her curiously. "You did."

Mei Xing wasn't expecting that. She sighed through her nose and gently brushed by the panda. "I'll see you downstairs…"

"Sure, I'll be right down."

* * *

Su turned to the first door on the left and knocked gently. "Tai Lung? Tai Lung, are you up?"

Inside, the leopard was already awake and doing stretches. It was the only exercise he could give himself without alerting the old lady about his intentions. He cursed not being as limber as he'd been a year ago. His wounds had healed at least six months ago, but Wu kept him in the room. The question on his mind, was how.

He looked up when Su Lin popped her head in. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully, her voice lilting like a songbird's. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," he answered vaguely, cracking his back. Tai Lung was _not_ used to treatment like this, as he watched her pour heated water into a washbasin for his use; this panda flummoxed him more than the Dragon Warrior, and certainly more than the old woman did.

He spied the folded clothes in her arms. "What is that?"

She smiled—genuinely, not slyly like the old woman—and held them out to him, like a child handing a school art project to a parent, proud of their efforts, not necessarily artistic talent. He remembered one time when he was barely older than a toddler, he'd made a drawing in the sand outside the Training Hall; Master Shifu had only glanced at it and said how good it was, as parents are supposed to say. Master Oogway—crotchety old loon that he was—had actually taken the little leopard aside and said he had a gift. Shifu had never used that term outside of kung fu. The leopard, now an adult, wondered if that "gift" still existed…

He realized she was staring at him, looking concerned. He came back to his senses and took the clothes from her, unfolding them.

"They're for you," she explained. "You've been wearing the same trousers for so long, you need something new, well, newer."

Thoroughly bemused, he held the shirt up against his bare chest. It was old fabric, thin, but clearly well-loved. And the embroidery around the collar…it was a prayer: "May peace be upon you, and good fortune always at your back."

He felt his heart constrict, and for a moment, he feared a heart attack. Then he realized how foolish that was; him, at his age, in his shape, with a heart problem?

His heart was swelling. It felt like it had grown and was pushing against his ribcage. He willed it back down.

"These are for me?"

"Of course! The clothes you have now are so threadbare, they're almost see-through!" she blushed at this, and truth be told, he also felt uncomfortable in more ways than one. "I modified them to fit you." There was an awkward pause. "Well, aren't you going to try them on?"

"Oh. Right." He moved his hands to unwrap the cloth belt at his waist, and sighed when he saw that her turned back was the only privacy he'd get. He didn't move. He knew why he was so uncomfortable.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" she asked, her back still turned respectfully.

"Everything. Why are you being nice to me, feeding me, clothing me, putting a roof over my head?! Don't you know what I am?!"

"No, I know _who_ you are. Auntie knows _who_ you are. We all do, because we're all just like you."

"What do you…"

"Please get dressed, you're supposed to be working now. But we want you to join us for breakfast first."

"Not until you tell me why _you're_ doing this!"

She finally turned to look at him, a determined expression on her sweet face. "Do you want to know why? Isn't it obvious?"

Clearly, it was not, he decided.

"Tai Lung," she explained, "We see so little kindness in this world. I know you haven't exactly been welcomed with open arms lately, so I wanted to at least make you feel welcome."

She truly mystified him. "Are you always like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind." With a sigh, he turned to change, and she turned her back respectfully, listening to the rustle of fabric, blushing a little at her proximity to a near-naked leopard…with, admittedly, a pretty nice body.

Tai Lung slipped on the shirt, finding it a little tight. He mentally shrugged; if he needed to go shirtless, so be it. The women in this house probably wouldn't mind. He fastened the trousers tightly around his waist with a clean cloth belt and shook his legs out. The black trousers felt a bit loose, but otherwise, not bad. In fact, they fit better than the pair he'd worn for twenty years…

He stared down at the piled indigo cloth on the floor. He scrunched up his face. Twenty years…with no laundry service. He visibly shuddered. He was going to burn that offending article, first chance he got.

"Does it fit?" she asked.

"See for yourself." It came out harsher than he'd intended; Su Lin smiled anyway.

"Great! Now I know how much fabric to buy! You'll need more than one set of clothes, certainly…"

He only half-listened to her. She was going to make him clothes. _New_ clothes. There was no way she could be real. This sweet thing had to be an act, a clever ruse meant to throw him off. They were planning something, he knew it.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," he lied. "Just hungry."

She grabbed his hand and led him to the door—his first time ever leaving the room. It was almost frightening to think of. He didn't know a thing about where he was, and now it was like the first steps he took out of the main hall of the Jade Palace.

Shifu had told him this story when he'd gotten a little older: once he had taken his first steps, at the time the proudest day of Shifu's life, the little leopard was soon running, zipping around the inner palace like a lightning-fast ball of fuzz. Until the day he reached the door to the Hall of Heroes.

It was a big, scary door, and inside it was dark, and even scarier to such a small cat. With Shifu by his side, leading him on, the little Tai Lung had stepped into a new life and a new future.

Just as he was doing with Su Lin taking him by the hand, leading him out instead of in, to a future he could never have foreseen.

* * *

When they got downstairs, Mei Xing waved, "Welcome to the land of the living," she quipped. She had just steeped the morning tea, and was pouring it for the family. Tai Lung watched her carefully. The way she poured tea was so graceful, refined even, too refined for someone with such a temper and coarse nature. He found that very strange.

Dalang looked over from the pot of simmering rice porridge and waved him over. "Hey, nice duds."

"Thanks. They were yours?"

"Yeah, they don't fit anymore. I lost some weight."

Well, _that_ didn't sting. "I haven't gained any weight."

"Sure you haven't, fatty," Mei muttered.

"Mei!" Su Lin scolded. Tai Lung just glared daggers at the other leopard, making all manner of mental remarks about her, most unprintable.

Dalang tapped his shoulder, "C'mere, I'm gonna teach you a trick. See this pot?"

"Yes."

"See this long wooden spoon?"

"Yes…"

"Okay, this is kinda complicated; you paying attention?"

"_Yes_."

"Good. Take the spoon," he put it in the leopard's hand, "Spoon goes in the pot…"

"Right…"

"Now stir."

Was he serious?

"That's it?"

"That's it."

_You smug bastard_. The leopard just stirred, looking to the tiger, completely at a loss. Dalang only shrugged. "You're doing fine. It's really just rice, water, and lots of stirring."

"How long am I supposed to do this for?"

"Until it gets very thick, or the consistency you like. Feel free to throw in fruit or spices or something."

Aunt Wu and Mei Xing shared a look, the female leopard whispering, "I thought we were waiting two weeks?"

"So did I. What is Dalang up to?"

Tai Lung was wondering the same thing. The tiger was handing over the reins to him? Well, once he'd figured out that the name of the tiger's style was "Wise-Ass Fu", the rest should just fall into place. But teaching him to cook? First he had to suffer the humiliation of being bedridden for a year, and further humiliation of the gained weight and lost muscle mass. Now, he was a cook, and he had no idea how to even boil water.

The leopard looked at his options: dried berries, some cane sugar, and a jar of honey. He internally shrugged, if they tasted good individually, they should taste good together, was his rationale.

"Easy on those ingredients, big guy," Dalang warned, "A little bit goes a long way."

Big guy? Who did this punk think he was? But when he taste-tested the porridge, he made a face; it was, if possible, too sweet. He could practically feel his teeth rotting. The tiger stood next to him, dipped a spoon into the pot and tasted it; he didn't make a face, instead, he nodded.

"Good start. Future reference though, don't use sugar and honey together unless you want your patron's teeth to fall out on contact. Try these," he dipped his fingers into a jar on a shelf next to the stove and pulled out tiny seeds, sniffing at them before tossing them into the pot. "Star Anise, a good flavoring agent, lightly sweet, but just enough bite to counteract the sugar and honey. Let me throw in a couple other things…"

Tai Lung stood back and let the tiger do his work, and he was amazed at what he saw. Now, it was not Dalang's culinary abilities that surprised the leopard. No, it was the deftness and certainty of the tiger's hands as they reached around, grabbing tools, spices and utensils. There was something…very odd here.

It became apparent when Dalang's elbow bumped into a bowl filled with almonds. Tai Lung watched the bowl topple over, its contents falling out…then witnessed the tiger turn the falling bowl right side up and catch every last almond before it hit the floor. Then he saw him bump the bowl a little, dispelling one wayward nut.

"Damn, almost had it that time," the chef said. "Oh well, next time, more practice. Just like you, right?"

This was such bull. If Dalang knew anything about kung fu—and he clearly did, there was no doubt—he'd know that Tai Lung could see mastery. He wasn't fooled by the one dropped almond. Dalang probably knew that too. No, he wasn't fooled at all.

The flames of his suspicions were further fanned when, as he watched the other feline serve up the bowls, the tiger slipped something into Tai Lung's bowl, and _only_ his bowl.

"Alright, everyone, eat up! Your meal comes to you today courtesy of Mr. Tai Lung here, big hand for him…" No one applauded. "Or we do _not_ congratulate him on successfully completing his first meal but _say_ we did."

"Can we eat now?" Mei Xing asked sourly.

Aunt Wu patted the place by her side, indicating Tai Lung sit by her. She was the first to sample the breakfast; the leopard braced himself.

The red panda's jade green eyes opened wide, then she set her spoon down gracefully; Mei Xing and Su Lin put their bowls down immediately.

"It is…very good. I would not have mixed the honey and berries. A lovely taste. It would seem you have a natural talent," she said, smiling fondly at him. Dotingly, even. The leopard wasn't expecting that. When he tried what he had assisted in making, it didn't taste all that special. Food was food, to him, it was fuel, something you needed in order to survive, and as long as it was edible and not toxic, there was nothing to get excited about.

But as his yellow eyes glanced around the table, he saw his housemates—even the uncompromising Mei Xing—enjoying their simple breakfast. Su Lin looked up at him, and her big brown eyes crinkled as she sent him a beaming smile. A _proud _smile. He couldn't help smiling back; it felt _good_ to have someone be proud of him, and to actually show it. He ate quickly, finding his appetite returning.

He was halfway through his breakfast when he remembered Dalang had put something else in his bowl. Suddenly he felt his stomach lurch.

"Are you alright, dear?" Aunt Wu asked.

"Fine."

"You look so pale."

He eyed her, snapping impatiently, "I've been confined to a single room for a full year, and a dark cell for twenty years prior to that. Of course I look pale!"

"Paler than usual, I mean," she held her tiny hand to his forehead, then felt his cheeks. "You don't feel warm…well, if you start to feel tired, don't hesitate to rest."

"I'm fine," he insisted, though he was inwardly panicking and glancing at Dalang. That bastard had poisoned him!

Dalang looked at him curiously, then asked, "Aren't you going to finish?"

"I lost my appetite. I'm allowed that, aren't I?"

The tiger furrowed his brows, then he finished his meal, slamming the bowl on the table. "Don't get Auntie started with her starving children speech."

"Starving children?"

Mei Xing groaned, "Here we go…"

The red panda cleared her throat and stared levelly at the leopard. "There are starving children in drought and famine-ridden regions of China, and you would ungratefully waste food while…"

"Shifu tried that trick years ago. It didn't work then, its not working now."

Well, Aunt Wu wasn't expecting that. "And here I thought no one could be more stubborn than Shifu."

"I'm probably more stubborn than you," he shot back.

The room was so silent it was unnerving. Tai Lung felt dread seeping in as Wu narrowed her eyes at him. "You will finish your meal."

"Or what?" he winced when someone kicked him under the table. He looked over and saw Mei Xing making slashing motions across her throat. _Cut it out,_ she was saying to him, her eyes doing the rest of the talking. _She _will_ break you._

One more look at the old woman and he decided death by poison would probably be preferable to whatever fate that twisted old bat-eared hag could concoct for him. He downed the rest of the breakfast and set his bowl down, earning him a smile from Wu.

"Good. Well, everyone appears to be finished. Dalang, you'll keep what's left over?"

"Yes'm," the tiger said, standing and collecting the dirty dishes. He set them in a giant sink, a water pump directly above it. Tai Lung had to admit he was impressed. The Jade Palace didn't have running water when he had been there—that apparently had changed after his imprisonment.

Mei Xing smirked at Tai Lung and stood, grabbing an apron and tossing it at him. "There, you'll need it."

He eyed it carefully. "For what?"

"Dish duty," she said smugly, her amber eyes glittering with mirth at his account.

"WHAT?" he roared.

Aunt Wu finished her third cup of tea calmly as he raged. Then she took out a folding fan—for it was quite warm that morning already—and rapped it over his knuckle, _hard._ "You've been kept abed for too long, I've realized, and I've decided this is the best way you can help around the house."

"You can't be serious!"

"You can't cook," she pointed out, brushing out the wrinkles on her sleeves, "and I certainly can't put you on wait service! The customers wouldn't tolerate it, and I guarantee you'd tolerate it even less."

She had a point. Besides, dish pan hands was a better fate than what would surely happen if he'd become a waiter instead. He growled and tied the apron around his waist. Su Lin patted his shoulder, "I'll come by to check on you. Just take it easy today, okay?"

"Sure."

She beamed and walked to the front of the restaurant with Aunt Wu and Mei Xing to open the establishment. Once they were gone, Tai Lung took the opportunity to show Dalang his appreciation at the additive in his breakfast.

He grabbed the tiger by the throat and slammed him up against the wall, raising his fist for a punch. "What did you do you me?!" he snarled, eyes burning.

Dalang had difficulty breathing, the leopard's hand wrapped tightly around his neck. "I-I'm helping you," he choked.

"Liar! I know it was poison, you—"

"You saw me do that?"

"Of course I saw it! Which was it? Lye? Hemlock?"

"Ginseng."

Tai Lung loosened his grip slightly, "What?"

Dalang's hands came up to further loosen the leopard's grip. He coughed, sputtered for breath. "Don't believe me? See for yourself. You saw which jar I got it from…"

Tai Lung unceremoniously dropped him, the tiger coughing, gasping for breath, gently massaging his throat as the leopard tore open the jar in question.

Ginseng. Dalang had put powdered ginseng in his food. That's why it tasted different.

"Why?" he asked.

The tiger stood unsteadily, visibly shaken by the leopard's attack. "Ginseng, it's good for the body after an extensive bed rest. Look, I need to level with you, but you're to tell no one I talked to you about this, not even Su Lin."

He was finally going to get answers?

"By all means, take some more ginseng, you'll need your strength, and soon."

Well, he wasn't going to argue that. The leopard took an entire root and popped it into his mouth, replacing the jar. The tiger pumped water into the wash basin full of dishes.

"First, I need to tell you what Aunt Wu's planning for you…"

* * *

Tigress was having a rough morning, an extremely rough morning. When the gong first sounded, her head felt like it had been pounded by a mallet, and when she opened her eyes, the throbbing only intensified. The loud "Good morning, Master!" outside in the hall only made it worse. She groaned, her body aching, tired, sore, and weak. And all because of the wine.

She was never drinking again.

Ever.

The door to her room opened, and, judging from the footfalls, she knew it to be Master Shifu. She tried to sit up to greet him, but as soon as she did, she felt dizzy, then nauseous. Shifu provided an empty pot for her to use as a receptacle for the previous night's dinner as she vomited. She coughed and lay on her side, miserable, and ashamed.

She expected him to yell, to belittle her for her weakness. She had failed him, embarrassed him in public, and done a disservice to the very name of kung fu. She wanted him to lecture her, so she could feel bad for a moment then get to training…

He lay his hand on her shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Master," she lied, voice cracking. She felt like hell. She wasn't going to tell him that, though.

"Uh-huh," he said, not convinced. "You've only had alcohol twice in your life, and this is the first hangover you've ever had…You're not doing anything more today than resting."

So _this_ was what a hangover was. Tigress decided quickly when her head throbbed again that alcohol was not worth it at all. Never mind the nice buzz, how carefree you feel at the time. Clean up and sobering up was not worth it.

"Master, I'm sorry. I didn't think last night…"

"I know. You were distracted."

Distracted. Po had said something about her being distracted, and that's why she lost to Tai Lung.

"I keep getting distracted."

"What do you mean?" he asked. "What is distracting you?"

"Everything…nothing…I don't know," she groaned, turning onto her back. "I couldn't defeat Tai Lung, I wasn't good enough to become the Dragon Warrior, even though I've trained my whole life for it, and now that I've _clearly_ failed as a warrior, now to add salt to the wound, I'm a damn lightweight."

Shifu chuckled, "There is nothing wrong with the latter. What concerns me," he sat by her side after drawing dark curtains over her window, "is this feeling of failure. How long have you thought this?"

"Master, it's nothing, really…"

"Tigress," he said sternly. "Don't lie to me."

"Please, I don't want to talk about it."

"As your Master, I order you to tell me what is bothering you."

Oh, that was low, very low. She wasn't expecting that tactic from him. But right now, she was not comfortable confiding in him at all. Viper and Po were the only ones she could talk to without expecting judgment. Shifu was another matter.

"Tigress, you are like a daughter to me," he began. "Even if I didn't show it all the time. I am very proud of you, I always have been. Your family entrusted me with your care, and it hurts to see you like this."

"Believe me, it hurts to feel like this."

He laughed, "I'll bet! But we both know you won't do that again, and know your limits. If anything, that was your one weakness."

"I get distracted?"

"No. Everyone gets distracted. You have always pushed yourself too hard, too far."

"And why not?" she blurted out, her temper flaring. "Everything I ever did was to make you proud! But just like Tai Lung, it was never enough! If I became the Dragon Warrior, I could finally make you proud, bring you peace! That's all I ever wanted, and like Tai Lung, that was stolen from me!"

By the end of her rant, she was panting, and her head was throbbing again. Shifu stared at her, both confused and surprised. She didn't like that look at all.

"If that means the same darkness exists in me, then…" she didn't know. She did not know how to finish that sentence.

"Is that why you hated Po for so long?" he asked. "You felt cheated?"

"How could I not?" she asked quietly. "It was what you trained me for, and it was something I wanted so desperately. Never mind the fame, being part of the Furious Five. Don't get me wrong, Master, I'm glad I'm with them, they're the closest friends I've ever had. I just…I want something _more._"

They were both silent for a long, awkward moment. Tigress hung her head in shame.

"Tigress, look at me."

She couldn't do it.

"How interesting," he said. "That the same person who, as a cub, was not afraid to look me in the eye, yet now as a grown woman she can't even raise her head."

"I failed you."

"You did no such thing!" he raised his voice. She flinched, and he quietly apologized. "If anyone has failed anyone, I have failed you. I don't want anymore regret, from anyone."

"I regret drinking."

"I'm sure you do, but I would like an explanation for it. The way you behaved last night was very unlike you."

It was the tiger. She was sure of it. He had done…something to her. He knew a technique, she was sure, that could immobilize a person with just one look. This Dalang was truly a formidable rival. She told this to Shifu, and to her surprised, he laughed, and heartily.

"Is that what you think?" he asked, smiling knowingly. "Are you so dedicated to kung fu that you can't recognize the difference between a threat and an attraction?"

"I'm not attracted to him. He…he caught me off guard. That has never happened."

Oh, he knew she'd been caught off guard. She was in denial, and he knew it. "Tigress, there is no reason to deny it. But if you insist on it, that is your prerogative. I'll leave you to recover. Would you like Po to make you something?"

"If he does, its not staying down," she admitted. Shifu patted her shoulder. "Let him make something, I'll instruct him. I know some hangover remedies."

Tigress looked at him oddly; how would he know remedies for hangovers. He chuckled and headed for the door.

"You're not the only one who has ever lost control and regretted it."

And boy, did she. She settled back in her bed and sighed, closing her eyes. All she wanted was a remedy for this headache, and lots of water. As she lay there, she thought about the tiger from the night before. She saw him clearly in her mind.

The color of his eyes, the way they shone in the candlelight, the lean muscles beneath the dark umber of his black-striped fur, the lines of his stripes like graceful calligraphy strokes over his body. The square jaw, and ever present mischievous smile ghosting his lips, and his voice, all sent pleasurable shivers down her spine.

Then she understood. Her eyes flew open. Was it possible? Was she, dare she think it, in love with him?

_Impossible_, she thought stubbornly, turning over and pulling the covers up to her chin. _Impossible_.

* * *

Nice long update for all of you. Thank you for being so patient! Formal thanks go out to Paradoxal Reality, corset-rebellion-follower, RemTar85, DJ Striker, Kirai-Ninja, Peter the Muggle, Kippis 05, Creepy Person, and Wolf Mystic. Your words are quite the encouragement! (PS, love all your works too!  )

See you at next weekend's update!


	6. There's Something About Tigress

Disclaimer: Don't own Kung Fu Panda. I also don't own the rights to "There's Something About Mary". I just thought the title would make a lovely parody, as Tigress seems to be shipped with just about everyone.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5: There's Something About Tigress

* * *

Tigress was finally up and sitting, eating an easy meal of weak tea, plain rice, and egg drop soup Po had cooked up. He swore eggs were good for hangovers, even though they made her stomach turn. After a whole pot of tea for herself (and numerous trips to the lavatory), she was starting to feel a little better, but still felt lightheaded whenever she sat up too fast.

Po poked his head into the room, "Hey, how're you feeling?"

She winced and held her head as bright light poured in from the hallway. "I've been better," she said through clenched teeth. Po quickly closed the door and took a heavy blanket and draped it over the curtains covering her window.

"Master was asking about you."

"Has he said anything?"

"Like what?"

She put the empty bowls aside and lay down, groaning. Her body ached, despite the pain relievers Monkey had given her. "He talked to me earlier."

"Yeah, I couldn't help overhearing," he said cautiously. "I'm sorry about everything. You know, like, stealing your thunder and stuff."

She sighed, turning onto her side, facing away from him, "Po, I don't blame you for anything. I'll just have to get over it."

"For what its worth," Po said, "I don't think you have darkness inside you. Not like Tai Lung, anyway."

"How else would you describe it?" she asked quietly. "Ambition, pride, drive, I have everything that he did, and like him, I have nothing to show for it…"

"You're one of the greatest warriors China has ever known," he pointed out. He sat down next to her bed. "I mean, sure, I'm the Dragon Warrior and everything, but I wouldn't be anywhere _near_ where I am today without _you_ guys. You all trained your whole lives, I've only been training for a year…"

"And yet it comes so naturally to you," she pointed out, closing her eyes with a tired sigh.

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. "I'm not that good. You and the other Five will always be better than me."

"You defeated Tai Lung."

"Sometimes, I don't think I did."

She turned over and faced him, a quizzical look on her face. "What are you talking about? Po, you performed the Wu Xi finger hold on him, and he hasn't been seen since."

"Yeah, that's what I mean. I don't think he's dead."

"What makes you think so?"

"I dunno. I haven't had any dreams or visions or stuff like that. It's just this…feeling, you know? Eh, I dunno how to explain it. Something just tells me he'll be back."

"I hope not."

"Hey, you never know," he said. "I think he might turn over a new leaf."

"I'd pay money to see that," she muttered.

"Wouldn't we all?"

She hid a wry smile, but said, "Can we not talk about him?"

The panda nodded. "Sure. We can talk about something else."

"Okay…like what?"

"Did you enjoy the food?"

She nodded, "I'm keeping it down, so that's a good sign, right?"

He smiled, "Yeah, I'd think so. Why did you drink so much last night? I mean, it's nice to see you cut loose once in a while, but, that was just…"

"Frightening?" she offered.

"Yeah, pretty scary. We were all worried about you."

"Trust me, it won't happen again."

"Was it because they were teasing you about that chef?"

Tigress groaned, working out her confusion aloud. "I don't know what happened. Shifu seems to think I'm somehow 'in love' with that tiger, but it's not possible. What do I know about love anyway? My whole life has been kung fu, training, and more training."

"So maybe your heart's saying you need something more?"

"Po, I don't listen to my heart. Only lovesick teenagers do that, and it only gets them into trouble."

He looked a little hurt. "That's not true. Why do you think I came back to fight Tai Lung? Because I knew in my heart that I needed to…"

"This is something entirely different," she said. "I can't be in love with someone I barely know. All I know is that he's a chef at a dim sum restaurant…"

"And he's cute."

"And he's cute," she admitted miserably. "Tai Lung caught me off guard, but this tiger, this…what was his name again?"

"Dalang."

"Right, that Dalang person, he just completely came out of nowhere." She groaned and held her head in her hands. Thinking this over all day was giving her a worse headache than the hangover. "Arg, migraine…"

"You want some more painkillers?"

"Please, anything to keep me from thinking. I've been trying to figure all this out, but I just keep getting more and more confused."

He looked a little uncomfortable. "Um, should I get Viper so you two can talk girl-stuff?"

She thought about it, then nodded. "Okay. I could use her company."

"Alright. You need some more tea, or water?"

"Water please." She paused. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"About what?"

"About everyone fussing over me today."

"Hey, you're sick, and we worry about you when you're under the weather."

"I wish you wouldn't."

Po collected the bowls and chopsticks. Then he gave her a one-armed bear hug, "We're your friends, Tigress, it's what we're here for."

* * *

Viper came in a half-hour later, bringing a mahjong board with her. She set it up, making sure Tigress stayed well hydrated with lots of water, and fed with rice and steamed vegetables.

"So, talk to me about this guy," the serpent smiled. "He was cute, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was. Is. I don't know, my head hurts from thinking about it." She moved one of her pieces across the board. Viper made a move and captured the piece.

"You were seriously crushing."

"I know that now. Mantis and Monkey wouldn't let up…"

"Which led to the consumption of obscene amounts of sake," Viper guessed.

"Yes. Yes it did."

"You know alcohol won't solve anything."

"Well _Duh_," Tigress added. "I'm not doing _that_ again…"

"Do you promise not to punch him or Monkey when they start up? I know they're not done with you yet."

"I can't promise miracles," Tigress smirked. "But I'll leave it to you or Crane from now on."

"Mm," the snake nodded, humming in affirmation. Tigress scored a point against her, to which Viper briefly applauded her hung over efforts. "You should try drunk mahjong more often, if you're this good at it."

"Please be serious."

"Um, I am."

"Oh. Wait, I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Well, you are better at Go. But getting back on topic, you were _really_ into that guy…"

Tigress blushed, finally admitting. "Okay, he's very handsome…" she thought about his squared jaw, sharp eyes and deep, smooth voice. And that body… She blushed harder, her cheeks burning, "Very, very handsome."

"And he can cook!" Viper interjected.

Tigress smiled, then grinned, "And he can cook…"

"And he took care of you. I don't know if you remember the mint leaves?"

"Yes, a little bit. You know, that reminds me," she picked up a game piece and held it in her hand, turning it around in her palm like a worry stone. "I swore that I saw him propel himself up a wall, and perform a perfect split ten feet off the ground, just to get to the mint plant on a second-floor window sill."

Viper's eyes widened. "Wow, either he really _does_ know how to fight—like you said you wanted—or you drank more than we thought."

Tigress made her move. "I'm willing to say, with the size of this headache, that it was the alcohol."

"Good call. Hey, you won!"

Tigress looked down at the board. So she had. She smiled, "First time against you, too."

"Beginner's luck. Best two out of three!"

Tigress grinned, setting up her pieces. "You're on!"

She set up the board and made the first move. Viper made her move, and they played in silence for a while. Tigress held her chin in her hand, took a gulp of water, then studied the board. Her eyes flicked up to Viper, who looked back expectantly. Then she smiled slyly. "Still thinking about him?"

Tigress blushed, smiling a little. "Yes."

"I saw the way he looked at you last night, by the way."

"And?"

Viper could barely contain her enthusiasm. "He looks like he totally digs you! I mean, seriously, your eyes locked in the restaurant, and when he was supposedly studying you to figure out what you wanted, he was definitely checking you out."

"What?" she gaped, eyes wide. "As in…?"

"Face, body, _everything_," Viper whispered conspiringly, and stole another piece. "And the way he smiled at you…"

"I felt like I was going to melt into a puddle on the floor," Tigress finally admitted. Damn, it felt _good_ to admit that, too. Viper looked shocked that she had even come clean. Well, if admitting that felt good, what else would?

"I thought, you know, that he had put some…spell on me or something. Like he knew some special technique that could immobilize me."

Viper tittered, "I'll say—any girl would melt with the look he gave you."

Tigress couldn't help feeling like a boy crazy teenage girl, but she'd never had a crush like this one. Sure, when she was really little—as abhorrent as she was to admit—she thought Tai Lung had been handsome. For a little while, she even crushed on Shifu, but only a short while. Once she remembered the age difference between them, she gave up on that silly notion.

"Do you really think he likes me?" she whispered, feeling silly as soon as the words passed her lips. She jumped when someone gently rapped on her door. "W-who is it?"

"It's Monkey, and I have a special delivery for you!"

Viper slithered over and invited the primate in. He presented Tigress with a plate of ginger wafers for her stomach, some light tea, and a wooden box. She felt the bottom—it was warm. She opened it up and saw a note on top of a piece of white cloth. The calligraphy was crude at best, rushed and hurriedly written, but there was no mistaking who it was from.

_Master Tigress,_

_I am very sorry for what happened last night, and I hope you made it home okay. I wanted to make it up to you, so here is the free dinner I promised. This box will keep it warm until the end of the day. I hope you feel better soon._

_Dalang_

_PS: Hope you like the dessert._

Dessert? He'd made her a dessert too? She tore the cloth covering away and delectable aromas wafted up to her nose. It was heavenly.

Her stomach stopped churning and she suddenly felt very, very hungry. She picked up a pair of chopsticks and sampled the light fare he had sent. Rice and steamed kale, tofu cubes mixed with snow peas and a light dusting of ground black pepper, and some dried mint leaves, for tea. She spotted four little round cakes, coated in sesame seeds and a caramelized sugar glaze, her dessert. She picked one up, and bit into it.

The caramelized sugar, rice, and the red bean paste hidden in the middle were like an explosion of sweetness in her mouth. Even though her stomach might not have been in the best shape for it, she finished it off in one more bite.

Viper looked at the meal approvingly, "That was so nice of him! What a sweetie!"

"He seems to know what you like," Monkey said. "Very interesting, he barely knows you."

"He barely knows her like we know her," Viper pointed out. "I bet most of China knows her likes and dislikes, favorite color and everything."

"They guess," Tigress said, picking up some kale and rice and shoveling it into her mouth. "But they're always wrong."

"Favorite color: red," Monkey said.

"Favorite foods: sweet potato and tofu," Viper said.

"Favorite people, the Furious Five," she smirked. Monkey, to her surprise, gave her a hug.

"We were worried about you. Mantis and I did not mean to take it so far," he said.

Tigress gently grasped his hand. "Its alright, I forgive you." She took a few more bites, the churning in her stomach abating entirely. Whatever was in this food was performing a miracle. Thinking about his talents made her wonder aloud, "Was I really that obvious last night?"

"Yes," both serpent and primate said instantaneously.

"Very obvious."

"Totally crushing."

"I'm not going to live it down, am I?"

Monkey elbowed her playfully, "We'll have to put a muzzle on Mantis for a while, but nothing we can't handle."

Tigress smiled and continued eating.

"How is it?" Viper asked. Tigress picked up one of the round cakes and held it out to her.

"Try these. They're amazing."

"You don't want them?"

"I won't eat all of them."

Monkey and Viper looked at each other, then each took one and sampled it. Their faces lit up.

"This…oh goodness, Tigress, this is heavenly! Or sinful, I don't know which it should be!" Viper beamed.

"He does know his food," Monkey said, chewing thoughtfully. "We'll leave the last one for you—you are who they were meant for."

"Thanks guys." She sighed. "I'll need to thank him for this. Monkey, shut up."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You were going to!"

Viper grinned. "You're arguing with Monkey and will probably go after Mantis soon. I think you're feeling better."

It was true. Tigress had made that preemptive strike against Monkey, only because she knew the primate's constant companion, Mantis, was a bad influence on the already roguish master of monkey style. Had she not stopped him, who knows what innuendos he would have uttered?

She finished her game of mahjong with Viper, the latter winning the game. "One more?"

Tigress finished off the rest of the delivered meal and carefully packed the dishes back into the box they came in. She kept the note, just in case…

"Sure, I'm game."

* * *

"How's she feeling?" Crane asked Viper as she slithered into the training hall. The pretty serpent stretched out her neck and back, preparing for an afternoon of training.

"By the time I left, she was threatening Monkey and Mantis with bodily harm."

Crane smiled knowingly, "I'd say she's doing much better."

"Oh yeah" Viper giggled. "She'll be right as rain tomorrow. What have you done today?"

"I left the swinging clubs for Tigress, in case she wanted to get out today, but I guess that'll have to wait for tomorrow. Flew a lap around the valley, up and down the stairway ten times, and I'm thinking of going again."

"Why?"

He held out his wings, "I've been neglecting the biceps. Need to work more on it. The fire pit's all yours."

"Thanks."

She slithered over to her starting position and watched Crane take off out of the corner of her eye. 'Work on biceps' her eye…he was just using the training as an excuse. Something was certainly bothering him, and, like Tigress, the lengths Crane would go to keep his emotions bottled up was incredibly irritating.

Nevertheless, it was in her serpentine nature to weasel, er, charm information out of people. When kung fu wouldn't solve a problem, rhetoric—and maybe a well-aimed bite—would do just as well.

That was about as far as their conversations ever got. As far as she knew, Crane was perfectly content with that; she wasn't sure if she was alright with it though. She began the obstacle course with a sigh, sliding along the rolling dragons before flinging herself across the room to the fire pit. She dashed, dodged, jumped, flames far enough away, but too close for comfort.

She landed safely on the wooden walkway and coiled up. Something was off today. Some weird vibe was invading the Palace like a noxious fume. Viper wondered if anyone else felt it. Shifu certainly would, but she was not about to go to him; though the master may have been sharing meals with them, he was still not the most approachable resident of the kung fu school.

Po might have an idea. His instincts had been honed in the past year, though he seemed to have a natural sensitivity to changes in atmosphere. However that was, she could only guess.

Knowing her next option, Viper slithered out of the training hall to find Po.

* * *

The Dragon Warrior was busy whipping up a "small" pre-dinner snack for himself, beating eggs and stirring rice at a fevered pace. He set a pot of water to boil for vegetables and noodle soup, his specialty. Next, he chopped up carrots, turnips and onions, with accompanying kung fu sound effects, of course. None of the other warriors could understand why he bothered to make noodle soup as a snack right before a Saturday night dinner at Mr. Ping's, but after a while everyone gave it a rest.

Viper slithered into the kitchen, shaking her head good-naturedly at the panda's antics. "Hey Po, you got a minute?"

"HEE-YAA! Sure," he said, tossing noodles into the mix and stirring. "Want some?"

"Aren't we going down to eat at your dad's tonight?"

"Yeah, but I bet you're hungry…"

She shook her head, "I am, but I don't want to ruin my dinner. Mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

She slipped up the table leg and coiled herself next to him. "Have you been getting…feelings lately?"

"Feelings?"

"Yeah, like something is, I don't know, different. Like there is some force, or a change on the wind, but you have no idea what it is? I just got this feeling today, that there's something coming, but I don't know what."

"That doesn't surprise me. Snakes are always more perceptive to what's going on around them," he said, serving himself a bowl. He sat at the table, again offering her some soup. She finally relented; she was still a fan of his cooking. Overeating just one day wouldn't hurt her.

"There's more to it than that. Everyone seems to be acting differently."

"Like who?"

"Well, Tigress for one…"

"But she locked eyes with a good-looking member of her species and then got drunk to forget about it." He paused, "Okay, I see what your point."

"And there's Crane…"

"That's not surprising," he said, slurping the broth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. She giggled as a noodle stuck to his upper lip.

"You haven't noticed? He's awfully close to you…unless there's something you're not telling me."

"Like what?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. Was she really that clueless? "Viper, I think Crane likes you."

"Well of course he does. We've known each other since we were children…"

"I don't think you get it."

She blinked as recognition dawned. "Wait, you think he…_likes_ me?"

"Um, yeah."

She laughed, "Po, you're so funny! But seriously, that could never happen."

"Why not?"

"We're just…we're great friends, but other than that, we're incompatible. I mean, his ancestors used to _eat_ my ancestors!"

"Yeah, but _he_ doesn't do that…"

"Plus, his mother hates me."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence a while. Po finished his soup and put it on the counter. "We'd better go see if Tigress feels up to coming with us."

Viper nodded. "Good idea. Even if all she has is tea, getting fresh air will do her a world of good."

But when they got to the tiger master's room, they found it empty, the bed impeccably made, a tea tray arranged in line with the bedding, and a note on the pillow: "Meet you down in the village."

* * *

Tigress felt both giddy and terrified as she made her way into the village alone, the lunch box tucked under her arm. It was dusk, and she was expected at Mr. Ping's soon. But first, she needed to visit someone, to thank him for his courtesy.

Yes, his courtesy. It had nothing to do with his gorgeous eyes and lightning-white smile…

_STOP THAT!_ she screamed at her subconscious. _Stop thinking of him like that! It's a ploy, a ruse, a weakness! Knock it off, knock it off, knock it OFF!_

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, but stopped when she felt her headache returning. The feline sighed, jumping down onto the street, startling a few of the villagers. She stared back at them as they stared at her in surprise and awe. She smiled uneasily, waved half-heartedly and began to walk away. _That wasn't awkward at all_, she thought sarcastically. _Let's hope it doesn't happen at…_

Aunt Wu's restaurant loomed into view and she swallowed the rising bile in her throat. Oh _hell_ no, she was _not _going to repeat last night again. Two nights in a row was enough. She decided to bypass the crowd at the front and walked down the alley to the back. _Surely they wouldn't mind_, she reasoned, _I'm only just returning something that belongs to them. This isn't something to make a scene over…_

Tigress stopped when she heard his voice. He was talking to someone, in his kitchen, just a few paces from her. Her heart raced and she struggled to keep her breath even.

"Have some more ginseng, alright? I don't want you fainting on me," he was saying to someone. She crept closer. She should knock, let him know she was there…

"Okay, now as for what Aunt Wu's planning for you…"

Then she tripped over a vase.

Landing flat on her face, she missed seeing who Dalang was talking to by mere seconds. Within the blink of an eye, he was by her side, helping her up.

"Master Tigress! What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding nervous. She looked at him; was he really as nervous to be near her as she felt to be near him? Tigress forgot how to use her voice momentarily, then remembered the box that had fallen open at her feet.

"I…I wanted to return the box. And to thank you…for the meal, it was very good."

His hands had planted themselves on her upper arms to steady her. They were warm, comforting, and she suppressed the dissatisfied frown when he took them away. He leaned down to pick up the box, and she followed suit quickly, managing only to bump their heads together.

"Ow!"

"Sorry," she flushed, feeling her face get hot.

"It's okay," he said, rubbing his forehead. "I wasn't expecting you." He sounded annoyed. Oh no, he sounded very annoyed.

"I should have announced I was coming, sent a message…"

"No, no, Master Tigress, you're fine. It's, ah, been a very long day, is all. I didn't mean to take out my frustrations on you. Promise me that if I do it again you'll whoop my tail into next week?" he cracked a smile.

So did she. Her cheeks began to hurt. She didn't care; when she smiled, he grinned.

"Wow, you recovered fast. If I'd been as…" he held off on saying 'drunk', "_ill_ as you were last night, I'd still be laying up in bed."

"I must look like a wreck…" What the _hell _was wrong with her? Since when did she care about her appearance except in kung fu form?

"I respectfully disagree," he said calmly. She blushed a little, smiling, "Thank you."

He looked at the box and smirked, "Liked the rice ball dessert, eh?"

Well, okay, it wouldn't hurt to sound the least bit enthusiastic…

"They were heavenly."

His ears perked with interest, "Really? Some people have called them sinful."

"Um, well, they were…that too." And now she was stumbling over her words. What _was_ it about this man? It was then she noticed something very peculiar: he was tripping over his own words.

"Heavenly and sinful…yeah, I can see how they could be both, but I uh, didn't intend them to be…well, I _wanted_ them to be good, obviously," he grinned nervously. It was cute, really, and kind of sexy the way he bothered his bottom lip when he was nervous.

She did _not_ just think that.

She wanted to find out what those lips felt like.

_No I don't!_

She wanted to feel his hands again.

_No, no, NO!_

Take me, I'm yours.

_STOP THAT!_

"It was wonderful," she said finally, fighting down what her animalistic instincts were telling her to do

_Throw him down and take him._

No, brain, go screw yourself.

_You wish._

"You really liked it? It wasn't too hard on your stomach, was it?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh, no, Po—I mean, the Dragon Warrior—he made some egg drop soup…"

"Really? For a hangover? I'd never thought of that. I'll need to use that sometime."

"You drink?"

"Not a lot. It depends on the day—rough days usually have me asking 'red or white'?"

She grinned and laughed softly. "I know that feeling."

The conversation lulled and they stood there staring at each other, one expecting the other to initialize the conversation.

"DALANG! Where are you?! I have eight orders!"

Dalang sighed, calling over his shoulder. "What are they?!"

"Two shrimp fried rice, eight wonton appetizers, four fried shrimp dim sum, two extra-crispy tofu platters and eight of your rice ball desserts!"

"Two crispy crustaceans, pigs in egg blankets, six heart-attacks-waiting-to-happen and eight oh-my-god-I'm-in-heaven sweets, got it!" he repeated in kitchen slang.

Tigress finally laughed. He whipped around to look at her; she was hiding her smile behind her hand, suppressing the giggle that was bubbling out. "That's what you call them? 'Oh-my-god-I'm-in-heaven sweets'?"

_He_ blushed this time, scratching the back of his neck uneasily. "Yeah, well, I invented them a few weeks ago, still haven't figured out what to call them."

"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something. Thank you, again, for the meal. I'm sorry to be such trouble…"

"No trouble at all," he assured. "Come back anytime, and I'll fix up those desserts for you. Actually, now that I think about it…" he ducked back into the kitchen and came back with another, smaller box. He handed it to her. "Here, customer decided at last minute they didn't want it. There's six in there."

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. She then caught him staring at her. "Is…something wrong?"

He blinked, "Sorry?"

"You were staring."

"Was I? I'm sorry, that was very rude."

"It's alright," she took the box from his hand, her fingers ghosting over his hand. "You can make it up to me."

The blush under his deep umber fur deepened and he gulped, "I-I'll keep that in mind…"

She laughed softly, accepting the carry-out. She reached for the coin purse she'd brought to pay for her meal at Mr. Ping's. He stayed her hand, gently wrapping his fingers around her wrist.

"On the house."

"If you keep doing that, you'll get into trouble."

"My kitchen, my rules," he winked. "I'd better get back, but I'll see you later."

Tigress nodded. "Yes, later…it was good seeing you again." She meant it.

"You too, Master Tigress," he said quietly. He meant it too.

She didn't know what possessed her to say it, but as she turned to leave, she corrected him, "Please, call me Tigress."

She had meant that as well.

* * *

FYI: The desserts mentioned in this chapter that came with Tigress' box lunch are an actual treat I was introduced to on a recent vacation. They're called "mochi balls", and they are so good, they (like Viper said) are heavenly, or sinful, depending on the person ;) Thanks for reading!


	7. The White Orchids

Disclaimer: Damn this is redundantly annoying, isn't it?

* * *

Chapter 6: The White Orchids

* * *

Once he was sure Tigress was gone, Dalang gingerly helped Tai Lung out of the pantry. Hearing the crashing vase caused the knee-jerk reaction that Dalang used to shove the hapless leopard into the pantry behind him and slam the door. Tai Lung came out covered in various pieces of uncooked vegetables and half of his upper body was covered in white flour.

The tiger smiled uneasily. "Sorry about that, it was a reflex."

"Your reflexes _suck_," Tai Lung shot back, dusting himself off. He winced, rubbing the crook of his shoulder, "I _know_ I twisted something…"

"At least she didn't catch you. We got pretty lucky there. If she'd seen you…"

"It would've been all over, yes, yes, I know." He brushed more dirt and dust off his arms and shirt.

"Now what were you saying about what the old woman's planning for me?" Tai Lung asked, mystified. "There's a method to all this madness?"

"Madness, foolishness, whatever you want to call it, there's a reason for it," the tiger said, quickly getting back on topic. The sooner he got this over with, the better.

Dalang tossed a clean dish rag to Tai Lung, then started boiling water for the deep fryer. He pulled out some tofu and began slicing them into cubes. After he got all his ingredients together for the massive order, he began, working hard the whole time.

"We used to live further west, in the mountains. We had to leave, me, Su Lin and Auntie. It was complete anarchy there. There were daily raids, rapes, pillaging, and executions in the streets. We heard about the Valley of Peace, and planned to leave. But whatever money we'd saved we had to pay as blood money, to keep from being shut down, or worse."

The leopard nodded, slowly beginning to wash again. He listened carefully. Anything he could learn about his keepers would be beneficial in the long run. Dalang wasn't being very specific, but he would take what he could get.

"It got pretty bad there. One day though, our 'masters' told us they needed more. They were bleeding us dry, making sure we stayed there. When we couldn't pay them one month, they got violent. One went for Aunt Wu…" he paused, then said calmly. "And I killed him."

Tai Lung's jaw dropped, a bowl falling from his soapy hand and shattering on the floor. "_Killed_ him?"

"Yes."

"Just like that?!"

"Yes," he said tersely, "just like that. And you know what?" the tiger slammed a pan on the stovetop with a loud _clang_ that echoed off the walls. "It felt good. It felt good to wrap my hands around his neck. It felt good to look into his eyes as he died, see the fear in them—heaven help me, it felt good to know he was going out the same way his victims did. He suffered just like everyone he'd ever hurt. It felt _good!"_ he gritted out the last three words. "And do I regret it? _No_, I'd do it again if he had another life to live."

"But you were a marked man," Tai Lung said, kneeling to pick up the shattered pieces. "You needed to run."

"We all did. We ran for it that night. Nothing but what we could carry and the clothes on our back; you're wearing what I wore that night."

That wasn't disconcerting in the least, Tai Lung thought, to be wearing the very clothes a murderer wore on the night of his heinous deed. Still, he had to ask, "Why did you keep these clothes?"

"I didn't have anything else for the longest time. We couldn't stop just anywhere, we'd attract attention. The warlords would know where we'd gone. We finally decided to come here, since with the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior," he paused. "We thought we'd be safe. We're never truly safe though. Not since we found you."

"You found me on a mountain…"

Dalang laughed mirthlessly, "Not far from Chor-Ghom, amazingly. We might never know how you got up there, but we found you, half-buried in the snow, nearly frozen to death."

"And you brought me in, knowing who I was?"

The tiger shook his striped head, "At the time, we had no clue. It wasn't until we settled here that we connected the dots."

"And you didn't give me up?"

"Why should we? You're a fugitive just like we are."

Tai Lung stopped on his way to the refuse pile, getting the same sickening feeling in his stomach. He'd been feeling queasier and queasier lately, and he didn't know why. It wasn't the food, he knew that much—was it nerves?

"Anyway," Dalang continued. "We knew we needed to keep you a secret. When we first brought you here, we thought we could just welcome you into our little family, but once we knew who you were, well, we couldn't exactly alert the masses."

"So why am I still here?"

"The same reason all of us are here: Redemption."

The leopard stared at him. Then he scoffed, laughing mirthlessly, "I can't be redeemed."

"If you can't be redeemed, none of us can. I _know_ where I'm heading after I've croaked. But if you can turn _your_ life around…you're our hope, Tai Lung. We've all but lost every hope we had. You're the last one."

_But no pressure_, the leopard told himself. He got back to washing out bowls, thinking over the new information, and realizing that his earlier observations about the chef were correct—he was dangerous, and if he could kill so easily and enjoy it, then the leopard figured he was in trouble.

And that he needed to get out of there, as soon as possible.

"So, how am I supposed to redeem myself?"

"We don't know yet. Aunt Wu's been consulting her horoscopes and yours," Dalang said, starting to chop vegetables for a soup.

"Astrology is a sham," Tai Lung said. "Load of superstitious nonsense."

"I'm not disagreeing with you, but sometimes I gotta admit, it's…creepy."

"What about Su Lin?" he suddenly asked. Dalang stopped, then resumed chopping.

"I'm not comfortable talking behind her back."

"I'm not asking you to do that," the leopard suggested, "I just want to know more about her."

"You can ask her on your own time," he replied tensely. "She's a pretty private person, and even I don't know the whole story, though I've known her for years. I don't think Aunt Wu knows everything either."

"What about the _other_ female?"

"Mei Xing?" the tiger sighed. "I can't talk about her either. I'll say this much though: she might be feisty, but it's a front. She's a lot more sensitive than she lets on. How do I know that? Because we _all_ are, everyone in this house; we all put on a brave face, just like you."

_And Su Lin_, he caught himself thinking. _Wait, why am I thinking of the panda girl? _

More importantly, how did Dalang know about his…insecurities? "I'm not sensitive," he denied.

"Not sensitive, right, because you wouldn't have gone crazy from being denied the Dragon Scroll, because you only wanted to make your master proud of you, like a father should be."

That hurt. It seriously hurt, like a knife blade between the ribs. Tai Lung cut claw marks into the wooden basin with a white-knuckled grip. _No, control yourself, you are going to control yourself, do _not_ lose control…_

Dalang looked at him apologetically. "For what it's worth, I understand. I'm the youngest of seven sons, so my place was decided the day I was born. You try competing against six older brothers when your own abilities are sub-par. I mean, you mastered the 1000 scrolls of kung fu by the time you turned sixteen! The first and youngest person ever to do so! Me, I'm lucky I know how to throw a punch.

"But anyway, moving along…Su Lin and I are going to get you back into training. Now," he held up a hand to stop Tai Ling from interrupting, "We can't let you outside, yet, until we come up with a game plan."

"I'll need a lot of space," he suggested.

"We'll figure it out, but, just wanted to let you know that we want to help, you know? Now!" he quickly changed gears, and pulled out a piece of paper, "How far have you gotten on the dishes?"

Tai Lung looked down and saw he'd washed all of the dishes from the lunch hour, and as the dinner crowd came pouring in, more and more work was being piled up for him. The snow leopard growled, "This is an injustice."

"Preachin' to the choir, big guy."

The leopard growled and started working faster. He was the strongest warrior ever to be trained by Shifu, feared and respected, no matter who anyone asked. And now he was confined to dish duty. He could not suffer this injustice for long at all. It was undignified, and an insult to all his years of training.

Well, at least he knew what to use that journal for…

* * *

Po caught Tigress sneaking into the restaurant, spotting her out of the corner of his eye. She slinked up to the bear and he whispered in her ear, "You're late. Where were you?"

Tigress noticed Shifu staring concernedly at her. She mouthed to Po, "Later."

"GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE!" Mr. Ping greeted, throwing his doors open wide. "Pleasure to see you again so soon! Po, will you help me in the kitchen, I have a special surprise for everyone!"

"Sure, Dad, I'll be right there." The panda grasped Tigress' hand under the table and whispered, "Meet me around back in a few minutes, okay?"

She nodded once, thinking of an excuse to get away. Viper was looking at her worriedly, and so was everyone else at the table. Tigress wondered, _are they unhappy with my choice?_

She inwardly chastised herself. How could they possibly know?

"I take it you are feeling better," Shifu said softly.

She nodded, "Yes, much better."

"You look better. This morning, you still looked greener than Viper."

Tigress paused before cracking a smile; a Shifu who made jokes was not one she was used to. Yet another effect that Po had on the aging master. Po came out a couple minutes later, setting bowls in front of everyone.

"Alright, eat up! Oh, wait…" Po glanced at Tigress. "It looks like I forgot yours…"

She took the cue and stood. "That's fine, I'll get it myself."

"But you're still recovering," Po insisted. Tigress wasn't sure what he was playing at.

"Po, seriously, if I'm able to walk down the stairs to the valley, I can walk to your father's kitchen to get some—"

Po took her hand and guided her carefully to the kitchen. "Well at least let me help you…"

She rolled her eyes, "Po, for heaven's sake, I'm not a china doll…"

Once they were inside the kitchen, Po yanked her into the pantry. She stared around her and at the panda warily. "Why…are we in here…alone?" she added as an afterthought.

Po looked ecstatic, "You went to go see him, didn't you?"

"Ugh!" she rolled her eyes and slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh no, not you…Viper's bad enough!"

"So you did?"

"So _what_ if I did?"

"Did you talk to him?"

"Well, yes…"

"Did he say anything?"

"Yes."

"He did!"

"Po, we were having a conversation, that implies that I said something, then he said something, and so on."

Po took off the apron his father had slipped on him. "But did he say anything like 'You look lovely tonight' or 'I think you're amazing' or…something like that?"

Tigress thought back to the short—and slightly awkward—exchange with the chef, and in spite of herself, she blushed slightly and smiled. Po took this as a very good sign. "What'd he say? What'd he _say?_"

"He said…he was glad to see me again."

"Okay, and?"

What else _had _he said?

"_I must look like a wreck…" "I respectfully disagree."_

Had he…had he called her beautiful? "He said I looked good."

Po grinned, "That's awesome! What else?"

"He…he was staring."

"Staring?"

"Yes, he stared at me, right at my face."

"Were you…doing anything at the time?"

"Well, I was, um…smiling," she muttered the last part.

"You were what?"

"Smiling!" she snapped, "I was smiling, and he was staring at me, okay?"

Po gave her a knowing look—it irritated her. "What?!"

"He likes you."

"Po, there is no way in h—"

"Hello you two!" Mr. Ping poked his head in. The goose's sudden appearance startled them, Tigress's tail frizzing up. "Everything okay?"

Po bit back on a laugh at the tiger master's reaction. "We're fine dad, I was just looking for some…"

"Ginger," Tigress offered. "For my stomach."

"Oh, not to worry, I made a special ginger carrot noodle soup for you," the goose said. "It's at your place on the table. Do you need anything else, Master Tigress, or are you feeling better?"

Actually, there was one thing she was curious about…

"Well…may I ask you a personal question?"

"I…suppose," Mr Ping said slowly.

"Has that new restaurant been bad for your business?"

His reaction surprised her. "Bad for business?! Hardly! Its been bringing more people here, like you! Oh, and I met the chef of that place and his "auntie"—such nice people. The chef…what was his name, ah yes, Dalang, he was on his way to bring a delivery to the Jade Palace…"

Tigress felt a pounding in her ears as the goose told her what he knew.

"That old auntie, what a character! She stayed behind while he made the delivery," he whispered conspiringly to her, "Apparently he never stops asking about you."

"He…he asks about me?"

"Oh yes, and oh, you should know this! _He knows kung fu too_…"

The conversation from the night before came flooding back: _"I said he was cute, didn't I? And he can cook! What more could you want?" "Oh I don't know, a man who can also fight?"_

"…so now you have something in common that you can talk about!" Mr. Ping finished.

Tigress smiled politely, "Thank you, Mr. Ping. I'm…very glad you told me. I'll need to ask Dalang about his…style, when I see him next."

She stepped out of the pantry to let Po out, but as she turned to follow the panda to dinner, Mr. Ping tugged on the hem of her jacket. He slipped her a note,

"He'll be back here, tonight, after you all have gone home. I suggest sticking around—he's pretty good at Go." He winked and waddled back to the stove, leaving a very happy tigress gleefully holding her second note from who could only be described as the tiger of her dreams.

* * *

_Day 368(?) of Wu Captivity:_

_I_ _never thought it would come to this, keeping my thoughts in this format. But perhaps Su Lin is right, and may help. I don't see how, I don't see what use this could be to me, except only to plot._

_I need to get out of here._

_That damned old red panda woman has kept me prisoner here, she has kept me weak for a whole year, and how that is, when my wounds could only have required no less than three, maybe four months to heal, I don't know. At first glance, that tiny old hag doesn't look like much. I wouldn't put it past her to have slowly fed me small amounts of poison to keep me incapacitated. I've heard of such a thing being done._

_I have doubts the rest of this "family" would stoop so low. Dalang, the tiger cook, may be far stronger than I gave him credit. Someone so skinny and tall could not possibly be much of a threat. There is a problem with my earlier theory. Perhaps Su Lin is right to think I can redeem myself, as the tiger and I differ on one issue: he's killed a man with his bare hands, and I haven't. _

_Yes, the fearsome and feared Tai Lung, the first to master the 1000 Scrolls of Kung Fu, who went on a rampage 21 years ago, has never killed outright. I've come close, without regret. Am I to fear the tiger because of this? Absolutely not. _

_One would think I learned my lesson from the Dragon Warrior, never to judge on appearances alone. Clearly I haven't learned my lesson. Dalang has killed a man._

_Su Lin, Mei Xing (skinny, short little upstartmal-tempered shrew, even if she __is__ tolerably attractive) and this "Aunt" Wu character are still a mystery. The former is a sweet, caring panda, who cooks, cleans, sews and has an agreeable disposition all the time. The latter is a supposedly sweet old woman with a bite worse than her bark, as the saying goes. An old woman who consults oracles and star charts, and who seems to believe I can change._

_I will never change. Prison didn't do it, defeat by the Big Fat Panda (BFP for future reference) didn't do it either. Being denied the Dragon Scroll a second time only makes me more determined to be the best. _

_I just need to figure out how to do it._

It was later that night, after the massive dinner crowd had dispersed and all the dishes washed and dried, that Tai Lung sat up in his room, composing his thoughts on parchment in the journal Su Lin had given him. It had not occurred to him that it would be of any use, but for the most part, so far, it didn't seem that bad.

There was some comfort to it, actually. For twenty years, he would have given anything just to have someone to talk to, something other incarcerated felons enjoyed. Not he; all he had were the rhinos and General Vachir, and he was not about to tell them his feelings or thoughts. All he received those first few months were kicks, jabs with spear butts, slaps, punches and being spit upon.

_And people wonder why I'm bitter_, he wrote. He stopped, brush hovering over the page. He'd written all of that down without realizing it. While thinking of his imprisonment, he'd completely blanked, and written down everything: the guards, the abuse, then the…

"No," he said out loud, crossing it out. _No, I'm not writing that down._ He had been trying to forget it for years. After it had happened, he had wanted to shut down, to let those boulders rip him apart, to at last give him peace.

_No, I didn't give in then, I'm not giving in now. _He wrote further: _I can't let anyone know what occurred down there, never. My only consolation is that damned general being dead when I blew those doors open. I need to get beyond it, forget it ever happened._

Somehow.

He sighed and looked out his window, the only light he'd seen in a year. After years under yards of rock, easily a mile below ground, the sun had first burned his sensitive eyes. He'd become accustomed to darkness, night. He'd always been slightly nocturnal, though training under Shifu had changed his natural habits a tad.

The moon shed its silver rays unto the valley and he looked out, daring someone to see him. Across from him, he saw an open window across the street. There was a pot of white orchids sitting on the ledge.

He didn't see them as flowers. Something in him changed. He didn't see the whole picture, he saw it as the sum of its parts. The shapes that made up the whole, the square of the window, the geometric designs of the latticework below the eaves, the gentle slope of the ceramic shingles, and finally, the perfect heart-shaped flower.

Being in prison had kept him from truly appreciating such beauty, and the thought of Chor-Ghom made him blank out again. His hand moved over to the kit Su Lin had given him. He curled his fingers around a piece of charcoal and held it poised over the paper. His yellow eyes stayed trained on the orchids, on the window. The charcoal pressed to the page, his hand moved.

Orchids, the little white blooms like tiny moons, shining in the low light that Chang-O sent as her gift to mortals below, formed on the page. He didn't see it. His eyes and mind were focused on the plant, on the clean, straight lines of the window. His hand flew across the page, leaving their dark marks deep in the parchment.

He had to stop when a rabbit mother walked into the window with her baby. Tai Lung ducked just in time; peeking around the corner, he saw the mother set the baby in its crib, then bring in the orchids from the ledge before closing the shutters.

He cursed. That was too close. Then he looked down at what he'd done.

His hand had smudged the charcoal drawing and he muttered another soft curse. When he looked again though, he noticed the smudging…actually made it look better. Using a clean finger, he began smudging lines here and there, defining others.

When he finally looked at his creation, he could scarcely believe it. It looked near identical to the image he'd picked apart in his head. And there were the white orchids, miraculously unscathed, shining white on the parchment like they had in the moonlight.

Maybe Master Oogway really did know what he was talking about.

Tai Lung looked out the window, his eyes moving up to the Jade Palace. They roved over the landscape, then focused on the mountains. His mind blanked out again, he turned the page, and fingers moved across the page.

The process repeated, he looked at his creation. He smudged the lines with his thumb, eyeing where the light source was, and before his very eyes, saw the effect of shading and depth.

He smiled, just like he had when a cub, drawing lines in the sand with a stick. Stick figures performing kung fu, but they were apparently _proportioned_ stick figures, and they were performing on an arena similar to the one right in front of him. Shifu hadn't seen it, hadn't recognized it, Oogway did. Under Shifu's tutelage, however, Tai Lung came to see the drawing as a weakness, something that kept him from his ultimate goal. Art wasn't something a Dragon Warrior did; artists were weak, warriors were strong. It had never occurred to him that they could be one in the same.

Perhaps—and it hit him like getting hit with a Swinging Club of Oblivion below the belt—Oogway had seen this talent, this gift, tried to cultivate it, maybe even believed that it would save the snow leopard from the darkness that had crept inside him.

The room suddenly felt much closed in, and he, in turn, felt claustrophobic. His open window was still there, beckoning him with an extremely tempting invitation. It was an invitation he could not refuse.

Setting his journal down and blowing out the candle on his night stand, he jumped onto the ledge of the window and looked around. The streets at this hour were deserted, which was fine by him. He stared at the roof across from him, and jumped.

He landed with relative ease. His balance was still a bit off, but he would work on that. A cool wind rustled through his fur and he smelled water in the air. Dark clouds were forming on the horizon. He rather disliked water, but he'd be back before anyone knew he was gone anyway.

Tai Lung looked back over his shoulder at his open window, standing dark and still, a lonely eye staring back at him. He shuddered and turned away, running along the eaves of the house, jumping to the next roof. This landing came easier; he just needed practice.

He stopped when he heard a noise in the alley below. Crouching down to the shingles, he peeked over the edge and saw Dalang in the street below. The tiger had brushed out his fur and was wearing a light green summer jacket—Tai Lung was surprised he owned anything _with_ sleeves. Dalang looked left and right before locking the door to the residential part of the building and walking down the street, whistling a little tune.

_Strange_, Tai Lung thought. Were these nocturnal sojourns habitual? Or maybe—and he let himself hope, as foolish as it sounded—Dalang was searching for a place they could train where no one would find them! But he saw the tiger head north, towards the gates of the Jade Palace. He decided to follow him, if only for curiosity's sake.

To his disappointment, Dalang's only purpose was to go to another restaurant, where an old goose greeted the chef. Then, to Tai Lung's shock—and supposedly, Dalang's too—Master Tigress emerged from the inside. He couldn't hear the conversation below, but it was clear that both tigers were profoundly glad to have found each other. Dalang swept his arm out to a table for two; she accepted, and they sat to begin a game of Go.

The leopard could barely stand it. Oh, this was _gold_! He stored away this knowledge for use at a later date. For now, though, with his most pressing adversary currently engaged in a board game with a female kung fu master, Tai Lung felt completely free for the first time in over a year. He could do whatever he wanted, and _go_ wherever he wanted!

Keeping this in mind, he continued his midnight sojourn. He made his way to the Jade Palace, with the beautiful Chang-O as his guide lighting the way, and the storm gods at his back.

* * *

Po was training in the arena; he couldn't seem to fall asleep, while Tigress had practically passed out after only a few hours of training. Master Shifu was right, she pressed herself too hard.

The panda let out a battle cry and punched The Adversary across the lawn. "Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about! How you like me now, huh?" he taunted the inflated mannequin. "Huh? How you like me now?

"Oh you want some more of this? Oh, you'll get more, I'll give you so much more, you're in big trouble, oh yeah…" He threw another punch and attempted a swinging kick before loosing his balance and falling flat on his rump. He got back up, rubbing the smarting region. Okay, that combination wouldn't work.

But, ever undeterred, Po resumed a fighting stance and knocked the mannequin the whole way across the yard. "YEAH!" he whooped, pumping his fists in the air. "Yeah, I showed you, hah! You want some more, do ya? You don't know what you're dealing with here."

The Adversary just smiled back at him—a challenge.

Po lowered his voice to a throaty, gritty whisper, "Oh, I see how it is… you're feelin' lucky. Are you feelin' lucky? Yeah, you feelin' lucky today, _punk_?"

"PANDA!" Shifu yelled.

"GAH!" Po fell back on his rump a second time, surprised by his master's sudden appearance. Shifu sighed and stepped into the arena, shaking his head. "Panda, I thought we covered this. No more noises when you attack!"

"C'mon Shifu!" said Po. "I just get so…_pumped_ when I yell like that, you know?"

"So do barbarians. I trained you better than that."

"Ah-hah! But it is a secret tactic!" the panda said enthusiastically. Shifu saw it as child-like glee and fervor. "I throw my enemies off with it, make them think I'm some big dumb fat panda, right?"

"Uh-huh…" he wisely refrained from voicing his own thoughts. "Go on."

"And I've got 'em distracted, right? So I move in all quiet like a fox…" he frowned when Shifu arched an eyebrow. "Okay, a _big_ fox. And POW! BAM!"

Shifu grasped his student's wrist, muttering under his breath, "Thank you, Adam West."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. It's late, Po. You need sleep."

"Yeah, I know. But I can't sleep." He saw Shifu look at him worriedly. "It's nothing, Master. I guess…I dunno, this is just one of those weird nights I can't fall asleep."

"This has happened before?"

"Oh yeah. Usually, it ended weird."

"How so?" he asked curiously.

"I saw or experienced something that I wouldn't have if I'd been asleep. One time, it was a _huge_ shower of shooting stars, another was free doughnuts…"

"So you think this is a sign that you'll experience something extraordinary, eh?" Shifu asked, smiling knowingly. "For your sake, I hope its vegetables, not doughnuts. I'm going to bed. Good night, Panda."

"Good night, Master Shifu!" Po said cheerily. He turned back to the Adversary and went over to the tree it had landed under to drag it back into the middle of the arena. A falling twig hit Po on the head, which made him look up.

He stopped dead.

When the green eyes met the yellow ones staring at him from the veil of leaves, both males froze. Po's jaw dropped; Tai Lung's heart stopped. He was caught!


	8. Changing Spots

Thanks so much for everyone who gave feedback! Love you all! :D

* * *

Chapter 7: Changing Spots

* * *

_Day 369 of Captivity_

_Of all the rotten luck (or good, whatever one's mindset be), I now find myself indebted to the 'Dragon Warrior', a position that should have been mine. That BFP (Recall, 'Big Fat Panda') has a lot of gall, I'll give him that…_

* * *

Po and Tai Lung stared at each other for a long moment, the former shocked, the latter hearing his heart hammering in his ears. The next thing he heard was a _snap_ and he came falling to the earth, landing hard on his back on the arena floor, the tree branch landing over his chest. The breath thoroughly knocked out of him, and head hurting, it barely registered that the panda had propped him up, and hit a nerve in the middle of his spine. Suddenly the pain was gone, and he could breathe easier. The snow leopard looked over his shoulder, confused.

"What was that?"

"Um, that's commonly called 'helping'," the panda said with raised eyebrow.

Tai Lung jumped up, taking a fighting stance. "That was a mistake. I've come to take back what is mine!"

"Dude, let's get real here. You lost," the panda tried talking to him. It wasn't working.

"Either fight me or alert the others," Tai Lung dared him. "I'm not leaving until I assume the ultimate power!"

"Come on, Tai Lung," Po tried reasoning, "You're not in any shape to fight me or anyone else."

"Was that a crack?"

"At what?" Po patted his gut, "Like I'm going to make a crack at someone's weight."

Tai Lung snarled, "You're a dead man!"

"You're not fat—maybe five or ten pounds, but that's about it."

No, he was not going to let that sting—but sting it did, like pouring the entire contents of a wine bottle on an open wound to disinfect it, and then rubbing salt into it. He knew he wasn't in the best shape, and now his pride was hurting more than ever.

"Why aren't you fighting me?!" he demanded.

"Because I don't want to," Po said simply. "I'm glad to see you alive."

"Glad?" he laughed, "Ha! You shouldn't be!"

"Dude, I thought you were dead! The first opponent I'd ever faced, and thinking that I'd killed you…I couldn't sleep for weeks."

"That's your weakness." And he took advantage of it, and attacked. The punch meant for the panda's face collided instead with his lower arm as Po blocked the strike. Undeterred, the leopard struck again and again, throwing punches and kicks.

One roundhouse kick aimed for his head was caught in the panda's large paw. Po twisted hard, twirling him around then throwing Tai Lung onto the floor again. He got right back up and tried again. Po caught it once more, and twisted the foot the other way. Tai Lung turned, taken away by his own inertia, and then found himself in a headlock.

He struggled, tail and claws lashing out everywhere. While he had him in his clutches, Po tried talking to him.

"I don't want to fight you. You're weaker than you were a year ago. How you got stronger after twenty years of being under a rock, I don't know. I gotta admit, it's pretty hardcore."

Was he really complimenting him? "I'm going to rip you apart!" he snarled. The panda had some nerve; he wasn't going to take that!

"Tai Lung, stop," he said sternly.

For some reason, Tai Lung obeyed.

"I want you to listen to me. I don't think you're a bad person—just misguided."

An earlier conversation with another panda came to mind: _I have faith in you…We see so little kindness in this world…Maybe the gods decided to give you a second chance…_

_I have faith in you._

Why did it seem that all the pandas he had ever talked to felt he had a chance at salvation?

Po took the ceased struggling as a sign that it was safe to let go. He slowly released the leopard and they shared an awkward look before Tai Lung looked away. "You're wrong about me. I'm evil, I have a darkness in me."

"Everyone has a dark side," Po said. "Everyone has a light side and a dark side."

"I've always been dark," he said quietly. Why was he even having this conversation? This exchange should have been incredibly violent; instead, it was just getting awkward.

Po shook his head. "You've got to have some good in you."

"I don't see it that way."

"Not yet you don't." Po punched his right fist into his open left palm. "A true warrior never gives up; a true warrior fights to protect. You never got the chance to protect someone, and I think that's why darkness crept in—there was no one to protect."

Tai Lung arched an eyebrow at him, "You've had a long time to think about this, haven't you?"

Po nodded. "Tell ya what, I want to make you an offer."

"Not interested," the leopard said, turning his back. The panda wasn't going to attack him anyway; turning his back to the bear was no large risk.

"Hear me out. I want to help you."

"I already have help." He bit his tongue as a weight sunk in his stomach. Recalling what he knew about Wu's clan, he was dangerously close to revealing them. If he told the panda…

_We're fugitives, just like you are._

He'd be signing their death sentences.

"Really? Who's been helping you?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Po laughed, then saw he was perfectly serious. Instead of frowning, the panda smiled. That was incredibly irritating. And Tai Lung knew how irritating it could be; he spent all of his time with people who smiled at him like that now. It was _really_ irritating.

"What?!" Tai Lung demanded.

"You _can_ change; you already have. You've got a reason to change."

"Rubbish, nothing's changed that could help."

"Sure it has," he insisted.

"Well, you're so smart, what exactly has changed?" he asked sarcastically.

What he said next hit like one of the Seven Swinging Clubs of Oblivion to the face: "You've got someone to protect, and you're already doing it."

What? There…there was no way. Tai Lung wasn't protecting anyone but himself. Then he thought about it; Dalang was wanted for murder, Su Lin was in just as much danger as the tiger. And, the more he thought about it, Wu probably had a bounty on her head as well. Oh, and maybe—maybe—that nasty little shrew, Mei Xing, too. The fact they had kept him a secret for so long could also get them arrested for harboring a fugitive (thought maybe not Mei Xing, she seemed the type to turn them in; her motive: to get him out of the house). Unless the laws had changed since he was last free, they faced much worse than imprisonment if they were discovered. And it was all because they wanted to help him.

He'd been selfish, so selfish. It hadn't occurred to him until now that he'd taken their kindness for granted.

Po was watching him carefully.

"You okay? You look pale."

"I _always_ look pale," he growled, recalling the conversation that morning with the red panda woman.

"I can hear the gears turning."

Tai Lung glared at him. "If I reveal these people, they can be killed."

"For what? Nursing you back to health?"

"For harboring a fugitive," he growled, "and since I'm not winning any popularity contests here…"

"Look, buddy, they're not going to be killed. Law's changed. They'd just be banished…" he said understandingly.

That wasn't much better.

"All I'm going to say," he said, "is that they're fugitives as much as I am. If I reveal them, banishment is just as good as a death sentence." Speaking of which, he needed to ask… "By the by, is there a bounty on my head?"

"Not really—everyone thinks you're dead."

"Ah."

The conversation lulled, and an awkward silence fell upon them. Somewhere, a cricket chirped, and cicadas sand into the night. Po stared at the snow leopard, gauging his reaction, perfectly silent until Tai Lung asked, "You had a proposition for me?"

"Oh, yeah," the panda paused. "I want to help you. I mean, training-wise."

"They've already promised to train me," he stated tersely, clenching his fists.

Po glanced at the leopard's frame, casting an unfavorable eye at him, "Looks like it's been working."

"Oh sod off," he snapped. "I'm not the one who weighs 500 pounds."

Po paused, frowning, but recovered quickly, "While that _was_ a little uncalled for…I'm still going to help. You need a place to train where no one will see you—I know a place. I know you want to be the legendary Dragon Warrior, and if I train you, it's as close as you're going to get."

"I don't need your pity!"

Po got defensive, "It's not pity, it's friendship."

"I don't need that either! How can I trust you?!"

"You haven't given me any reason to trust _you_, and I'm going to help you anyway," he pointed out.

He hadn't expected that. He hadn't expected this entire exchange. He expected the Dragon Warrior to beat him again, maybe even kill him.

"Why are you doing this?" the leopard asked. "Master Shifu wouldn't give me a second chance, you shouldn't either. Everyone seems to believe that I don't deserve a second chance, so why do you?"

"Because that's part of being a warrior," Po said with conviction. "A real warrior never gives up—but they also protect other people. Some people learn kung fu for protection, others to protect others. Why did you learn?"

"Because I had to," he answered after a pause, and for the first time, he realized it was true. He'd shown talent in kung fu, and Shifu sought to cultivate it. Had Tai Lung ever had another option aside from kung fu? No, he realized. Kung fu had been his life, and becoming the Dragon Warrior was everything he'd ever dreamed of. Had be been given the scroll at eighteen, he would have achieved his life's dream.

That was when the most depressing thought came to mind for the first time.

_After becoming the world's greatest warrior at so young an age, what was left? What would you do for the rest of your life?_

The rest of his life…he had no idea.

"Everything…" he said so softly, Po had to step forward to hear, "everything I ever trained for, that I dedicated my life to…was for nothing."

The tone was so dejected and downtrodden, there was no way it could have been faked. Even if the greatest actor in the world were being fed those lines, they would never have been able to capture the raw emotion that Po saw in the snow leopard's body, and especially his eyes. The panda stepped forward, offering a large hand, "Hey now, don't say that…"

"Oh _shut_ up, you know it's true!" he snapped, stepping back. "If I'd gained the secret to unlimited power at eighteen, like I'd planned, I would have achieved everything I'd ever dreamed of! And what then? Nothing!"

"What, you think you'd have nothing to live for after that?"

"_What else would there be_?" he insisted. "Spend the rest of my life training when I already knew everything? What would I be training for, what need would there be?! I had no one to protect, the people in my life could already do that themselves! I would have had no purpose!"

"Everyone has a purpose," Po said. "Everything happens for a reason."

Su Lin had also said that.

"What is it with pandas and optimism?" Tai Lung rhetorically asked himself.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Look, I don't expect you to make up your mind right now—I think you're still confused…" Po said slowly.

"I'm not confused, not about a damn thing," he interrupted. "There's…just some things I need to figure out."

"Right," the panda said unconvincingly. "Well, if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me."

This was ridiculous. It was so ridiculous, Tai Lung began to laugh. This was completely absurd! He was supposed to be fighting the panda and instead he was being psychoanalyzed! This encounter was either supposed to be incredibly violent or incredibly awkward—not that it wasn't the latter, but it had just tipped the scale into the Realm of Absurdity, to the point that Tai Lung wondered if a year of solitary confinement in a room over a dim sum restaurant had finally succeeded in making him crack.

"You're…you're kidding me!" he had trouble catching his breath, he was laughing so hard. He clutched his side and winced, coughing and gulping for air, but still chuckling. "You should kill me…I am not going to let you take what is rightfully mine."

"You haven't killed before."

"So?"

Po paused, staring at him. "That bothers you."

"Bull."

"No, it does. I saw that look."

"What look?"

Po wasn't convinced. Did Tai Lung really go to prison not knowing why he'd been put there in the first place? Shifu had told the panda after Tai Lung's disappearance that in the aftermath of the rampage twenty years prior, buildings that had sustained structural damage collapsed, killing everyone who lived in there. While not directly his fault, the leopard still had blood on his hands. How could he have known, when the deaths occurred weeks, even months after he'd been incarcerated?

"I've never killed anyone," the leopard said.

"You were going to kill Master Shifu."

"I was angry, he betrayed me, and I wanted revenge for making me into what I am today!"

"And you really think he's responsible for everything?" Po asked. "Do you think he's the reason you went nuts and started destroying things? Is Shifu the problem, or is it you?"

Tai Lung didn't say anything. Once again, even though he was right in the open, he felt constrained, tied down, like he was back in Chor-Ghom…back in Chor-Ghom, with the guards laughing, spitting on him, one grabbing at the scruff of his neck to…

He bolted. He ran for the wall and jumped right over it. He didn't care how it looked to the panda, he just needed to get out of there.

Wind rushed past his face as he ran, stumbling down the mountain haphazardly. He stopped, landing on a tree branch, panting with exertion. Or was it something else?

_Stop it_, he told himself. _It just caught you off-guard. You're not used to attacks like that. He's using some mind game to get to you…_

Yes, that had to be it. Tai Lung thought for a moment. The Dragon Scroll—though a worthless blank document—did _something_ to help the panda defeat him. It couldn't have been confidence, or belief or…how had he put it? Oh right, "there is no secret ingredient".

_What _is _it with pandas and food?_

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. Oogway was supposed to be among the wisest beings ever to breathe, and perhaps the old tortoise really _did_ instill powers into that scroll. Only the power wasn't strength—it was wisdom.

If Tai Lung had gained that wisdom, he would have been all-powerful.

But the panda, Po, was still a big, fat panda.

_No, I'm _the _big, fat panda._

Yes. Yes he was.

Tai Lung sighed and sat on that rooftop, looking over at the storm clouds building on the horizon. The wind had picked up, and he saw flashes of lightning between the clouds. He figured he'd been gone long enough; it was time to get back.

* * *

_What the BFP said to me did…something. Never before has any one person caught me off guard. It seems I can handle any battle and never allow anyone to surprise me. But when it comes to dialogue, fine, I admit I'm no great debater._

_As if this night couldn't get any worse—the memories, the epiphanies, etc, etc.—as soon as I return from my night on the town, I get injured. I can't entirely blame Mei Xing though, as much as I wish I could. What happened to her was not her fault…_

* * *

He found the Wu home with minimal difficulty. He had never spent much time in the Valley when he was younger, and the layout of the village had changed significantly in the past twenty years.

_It figures, _he thought, _leave a town for twenty years and they change everything._

Once he found his window, he made sure that no one would see him. Fortunately, black clouds covered the moon, making it easier for him to hide. He jumped when lightning flashed, and he thought it best to get inside before he risked getting struck.

With a mighty leap, he jumped across the street, grabbing hold of the eave over his window and slung himself inside. Her somersaulted on the floor, softening the sound he would have made if he had landed on his feet. He wasn't as silent as he had been in years past, but he attributed that to a lack of practice.

He straightened up and brushed off his shoulders. He allowed himself a satisfied smirk. Ha! He'd been gone for mere hours, and no one had missed him! _Damn I'm good._

That was when he heard a noise behind him. Footsteps coming at him; he reacted too slowly, and when he turned to face whoever it was, he was met with a searing pain in his upper arm. A flash of lightning revealed a knife sticking into his shoulder and an enraged Mei Xing wielding the blade!

His knee-jerk reaction was to strike her; she fell to the ground, nursing her bruising cheek. She got right back up and started clawing at him savagely, clumsily. He grabbed her wrists but she still struggled, spitting and yowling, and finally let out an animalistic shriek.

The room was quickly bathed in light as the other three inhabitants rushed in. Aunt Wu swiftly reacted, rapping his thigh with her closed fan, and ordered, "LET GO OF HER THIS INSTANT!"

He released her wrists and she raised her hands to claw at him again…until she saw his face in the candlelight. Her enraged, yet terrified expression disappeared immediately, then, to his horror, she started to shake violently. The female leopard fell to her knees, buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Aunt Wu was by her side immediately, wrapping her arms around the sobbing woman's shoulders.

"Mei Xing, what on earth were you thinking?" she asked. "Did you mean to kill him?"

The female leopard paused, then nodded.

"Why on earth would you do such a thing?!"

"Because I thought he was _him_!" she shrieked. "He came in my window, and he _looked _like him! I thought he _was_ him!"

Wu's face looked ashen; she hugged the young woman closer, gently shushing her. Mei Xing only cried harder.

Dalang laid his hand on Tai Lung's shoulder, then blanched when he saw the knife still embedded there. "Um…you want me to take that out for you?"

Tai Lung ignored him and did it himself, wincing and hissing in pain as it slid out. Blood spurted from the wound; Su Lin quickly grabbed a clean rag and pressed it to the wound; Tai Lung took care of the rest.

By now though, he was _pissed_. How dare that stupid woman attack him! She knew he could—and likely would—kill her! But as he looked down at the broken, sobbing woman kneeling on the floor in front of him, he felt a pang, a tightening in his chest that he'd never felt before: pity.

Why should he pity her? She attacked him first! He'd struck her in self defense!

"Tai Lung," Dalang asked. "What the hell happened?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Wu said. "What were you doing outside?"

Oh damn. Well, so much for not getting caught…

"I needed fresh air…" That was when he noticed the interior: this wasn't his room. When he'd gotten turned around on his way back, he'd come to the wrong side of the house—he'd jumped through Mei Xing's open window, not his.

Wu glared at him a moment, but her gaze softened and she sighed. "Alright. You and I need to have a chat, _alone_," she emphasized. "But first, everyone needs to get out, except Su Lin: I need you to get some medicine for Mei Xing and Tai Lung. Dalang, go find something to calm her down. Tai Lung, go back to your room, we'll treat you there."

Silently, they all obeyed her, everyone filing out. Dalang grasped Tai Lung's uninjured arm tightly, hissing, "Where did you go?"

"Out."

"Did anyone see you?"

"No," he lied. "I stuck to the shadows, stayed in the outskirts of town." Well, that wasn't a _total_ lie. The Jade Palace was technically "the outskirts".

Dalang seemed relieved to hear this, letting out a reassured sigh, "Thank goodness. I was worried you wouldn't be careful."

"You don't trust me?"

"Not enough, apparently." The tiger released his arm. "Just get to your room, I'll bring you up something."

"I'm not hungry."

"I meant for the wound. You…are losing a lot of blood," he sounded concerned. "You'll need something…"

Well, truth be told, he _was_ starting to feel a little dizzy. He looked at the rag and saw it was soaked, the white cloth now crimson. Oh, no, he was not feeling good at all.

"I think I need to sit down…"

Dalang helped him to his room and to his bed, "Just lie down, put your feet up, you'll be fine."

* * *

_Su Lin, the NGP (Nice Girl Panda), and "Aunt" Wu, the Old Hag (OH) have entrusted some interesting information about my housemates. Its seems Dalang isn't the only one with skeletons in his closet, but whatever their skeletons may be, despite NGP's usual openness, she is unwilling to discuss with me completely…_

* * *

Su Lin gently dabbed the cloth to his open wound. He winced as the alcohol burned, biting his lip to keep from making a noise. It didn't work.

"Agh! Damn that stings!"

"Good," the panda said, "It means it's disinfecting the wound. Just hold still, it'll get better once you get used to it."

"Do I come off as a masochist?" he joked. She giggled, "Not all the time."

"Your vote of confidence is very encouraging."

"Happy to oblige," she said. "Auntie should be in soon to stitch you up. She used to do a lot of embroidery, so she's very good with a needle…"

"As long as she doesn't embroider a peony on my shoulder, I'm perfectly alright with that."

Su Lin sighed and dabbed away blood from his fur before it dried. "I don't want you to be mad at Mei Xing, none of that was her fault."

He stared at her incredulously. "Then who in the _hell_ stabbed me?!"

"You don't understand," she said gently. "Mei…"

"She's on the run for her life," Aunt Wu said, stepping into the room. She brought a small sewing kit and twine to stitch up his wound. The red panda looked at Su Lin's work and nodded, "Well done."

"Thanks, Aunt. Is Mei okay?"

Aunt Wu began setting up her kit, "I gave her a tonic to get her to sleep. If you wouldn't mind checking on her in a little bit, just to make sure she's alright, I would greatly appreciate it. She looked positively catatonic before she fell asleep."

Tai Lung looked down at the red panda and saw something had changed in her demeanor, and the tone in her voice had altered. She looked much older now, bogged down by worry, and she sounded tired. The old woman took up some thread and threaded a thin needle before taking Tai Lung's arm.

"Tai Lung, there's something you need to know about Mei Xing."

Su Lin interrupted, "Are you sure this is…"

"He has every right to know—it might make living here a little more bearable for him, and the rest of us." She turned her attention back to him. "She didn't mean to attack you. Like the rest of us, she's plagued by demons…

"Her family was poor, farmers for generations. After a few years of bad harvests, the family was in debt. She was sold as a bride to a man almost twenty years older than her. She was seventeen."

He digested this a moment, looking away as the needle pierced his skin. Aunt Wu continued, "He saw no favor in her the moment he saw her. She was his wife, but he treated her like a slave. He took her to their marriage bed every night, worked her to the bone all day and every day, and repeated the cycle. The fool had no idea he was setting himself up for failure—working her as hard as he did, he assured she'd never carry a baby to term."

"She had many miscarriages," Su Lin explained. "She was just too weak. And even when healers told her husband she needed rest, he just worked her harder."

"He became abusive towards her," Wu said, slowly stitching. "At first, it was just words, snide remarks about her intelligence and looks. After five years of marriage, and no children, he became violent. He beat her almost every day for five more years."

Wu sighed, stopping her stitching. Tai Lung saw her hand shaking in anger, and her grip on his arm had tightened. He had to admit, he wasn't feeling too sympathetic to the husband either.

"One day—not long before you were defeated by the Dragon Warrior—he just attacked her for no reason, claiming she'd been unfaithful…"

Su Lin laughed harshly, her sweet round face masked with a furious expression that Tai Lung found so unlike her. "Unfaithful, my eye! She wasn't the one going to whorehouses every night, looking for concubines!"

"Be that as it may," Wu said, resuming her work, "He beat her to within an inch of her life. A neighbor saved her."

"What happened to the husband?" he asked.

"A slap on the wrist." She felt his arm contract beneath her fingers, and found he'd clenched his hand into a fist.

"A slap on the wrist, you say?" he said coolly.

She nodded. "Mei Xing spent weeks in recovery. It should have been months, but she knew that if she stayed, he'd most likely kill her. Once she felt strong enough, she stole some food, enough clothes to keep her warm, money, and various trinkets to sell. She ran for it, two days after the New Year.

"We found her five months ago, emaciated, weak, and probably would have died had not Dalang cooked for her morning, noon, and night…" Wu said.

He thought back for a moment… Dalang had reserved the biggest servings for Mei Xing, and always left enough congee in the pot for the rest of the day; the female leopard would come in every so often to eat some, then get back to work. Now Tai Lung knew why she was so thin. She'd been on the run, on her own, for at least three months. He could only imagine how thin she must have been when she'd been brought into the Wu household.

"She's gotten stronger," Wu said. "But her spirit is still recovering. She said she had been a willful child, but marriage to that…that…"

"Monster?" he offered.

"Yes, I suppose that diplomatic term will do…but in any case, what he did to her nearly broke her. She's never threatened to take her own life..."

"Except if her husband finds her," Su Lin said sadly. "She said she'd rather die than go back to him."

"Why does he want her anyway?" Tai Lung asked. "He clearly didn't care much for her."

"Why else would he come after her?" Wu asked rhetorically. "His pride. Having his wife abandon him—especially in the province she was from—was a blow to his masculinity, and he is fully within his rights to kill her. I suppose when she saw you entering that window…"

She didn't need to finish, because he had figured it out. Mei Xing had thought he had been her husband. That was why she'd attacked him, and why she had broken down into tears after he'd reacted and struck her.

At that moment, he felt like the biggest ass in the world. Worse than that, he felt he, like Dalang, was most certainly going to Hell. He'd struck a battered woman—he couldn't argue self-defense now, considering the circumstances. He was a kung fu master in his own right; she was an abused woman hiding in the shadows from a demon who was hot on her heels.

"I need to apologize."

Wu and Su Lin stared at him a moment, and Wu smiled slyly. "Do you?"

"You don't need to make me feel like the world's greatest arse, you know," he snapped. "I feel I'm doing a good enough job myself."

Wu finished her work and tied off the twine, cutting off the excess. She put some salve on the wound then stepped back to let Su Lin bandage the arm, "It just seems unusual to us…your pride has been our biggest obstacle so far."

"Sorry to disappoint," he said, but he didn't mean it. "But I just got stabbed by an abused woman, so I might as well deliver another blow to my dignity by apologizing for scarring her for life."

"You did no such thing," Wu said sharply, "Her husband already did that."

"What province was she from?"

"Dian," Su Lin said. "She's come a long way to get away from him. We hope he gave up the search by now, moved on…"

"I certainly hope the latter didn't happen!" Wu exclaimed, putting away her sewing kit. "I would not wish that fate on my worst female enemy!"

"She came all the way from Sichuan?" he asked, mystified. She'd traveled all the way from the farthest parts of the empire to Eastern China in three months? Well, it was doable, but not for a woman in her condition. No wonder she was emaciated when she was found.

Aunt Wu patted his hand. "You'll have time for that later. Let her recover from the shock first. Tomorrow morning, you and I will have a private breakfast. There are things we need to discuss, and things I need to tell you. I have kept you in the dark for too long, and that is something I intend to fix."

* * *

Dian: historical name of modern-day Yunnan province.

A/N: For those who don't know, in ancient China, it was perfectly acceptable for a husband to do as he pleased if his wife were to abandon him, even if it meant death by his hands.

The historical Yunnan province has been a part of the Chinese empire since the B.C.E era. Provinces like modern-day Qinghai and Yunnan were once part of the Tibetan empire—which fits, considering her species. As to the ancient laws concerning marriage and divorce (if such a thing existed in Chinese society at the time) I have no idea. I am merely going by some historical accounts that, sadly, are still all too common today.

As always, please read and review!


	9. Amazing Women

Standard disclaimers apply. _Translation_: Don't own The Big Fat Panda. I own the OCs. Nuff said.

* * *

Chapter 8: Amazing Women

* * *

Tai Lung woke immediately as the first rays of the sun peeked through his window. He opened his eyes, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. Last night had drained him; there was no motivation to get out of bed. It might have been the blood loss from the previous night, but he was willing to bet his lack of impetus was psychological rather than physical.

He sighed through his nose and reached for his journal. Maybe Su Lin had a point about this writing. But when he opened the book and ground the ink stick into the stone…nothing came to him. He could think of nothing to write.

What was there to say anyway? He related last night's events and what little thoughts he had to them. He filled one page and felt he was done. Whatever he was feeling couldn't be put into words, he realized. So what was he going to do?

He lay back on his bed and looked out the window. The moon still hung in the sky, the dark blue and black of the night fading into the west as red and gold morning light invaded the east, yet stars still twinkled in the sky. He took in the sight, and his eyes eventually found the morning star, shining brightly in opposition to the sun.

He realized what he could do.

He reached for the journal again and for a piece of charcoal. Staring up at the sky, he took deep meditative breaths, focusing on the star, and then began to draw. After his conduct last night, he could think of no better apology—because he figured he sucked at those anyway—than to make something to make her feel better. After all, Mei Xing's name meant "beautiful star". Why not give her something to help her remember that?

When he looked back down at the page, he smudged in the places that needed it. But he frowned. Without color, it looked nothing like what he was seeing. _I doubt I'm much of a painter anyway,_ he decided before ripping the page from his book.

Putting the book back in its hiding place, he stood wearily and made his way to her room. The door was still closed, and he heard no movement inside. _She must still be sleeping_, he thought. Without further contemplation, he cracked open her door, placed the drawing on the floor, then closed the door again. He tiptoed back to his room and closed his own door quietly.

When he got back to his bed, he heard her door open, and her footsteps on the floorboards in the hall. He rolled onto his side, facing the wall, pretending to be asleep when he heard his door open slightly. He heard her breathing and the gentle rustle of paper. He felt her eyes on his back, but before he expected her to say something, the door closed and her footsteps retreated back to her room.

His door opened again much later, and someone poked his shoulder gently.

"Sit up," Aunt Wu said. "I know you're awake."

"I'm not in the mood for your nonsense today," he said tiredly. "I'll be down to begin the dishes…"

"You'll do no such thing. Not until later, anyway," she said. He turned over and saw her holding two bowls of congee. "Eat up, its time we had that talk…"

* * *

Po rose early that morning too, and began cooking breakfast immediately. He was in a deep meditative state as he ran over the events of last night in his head. So Tai Lung had survived after all. The panda was glad for that, though many would question why. Well, why not? He'd never meant to hurt anyone, Dragon Warrior or not.

One of the lessons Shifu had taught him was that all life was sacred. Though the red panda had expressed relief that Tai Lung was defeated, Po could not miss the sorrowful look on the master's face every time the leopard's name was mentioned. When he had talked to Crane about it, the bird had an interesting insight:

"Well, maybe he's mourning."

"Mourning?"

"Think about it: Tai Lung was like a son to him. Sure, Tai Lung made mistakes, but it's a father's duty to love his son regardless. Everyone thinks he's dead; so, stands to reason that Master Shifu is mourning the loss of the only person he's ever loved."

It was a sobering thought. Po, however, noticed a change in the red panda as time went on.

As it turned out, Shifu had a wicked sense of humor! He had a laugh that was deep and throaty, and over time it had gotten easier to get a smile out of him. Continued training with the Dragon Warrior—and Po's urging that the master spend more time with his students—had opened the master's heart in a way no one expected.

The Five were caught off guard when he began acting as a father towards them, and not their master. Ensuring their happiness became his new goal, and with time, the Five came to accept that, even if some "moments" had gotten awkward.

When Shifu talked with Tigress the other day, Po remembered, that had sounded awkward. He could tell Tigress was not used to this treatment by her master, and, at first, had been completely belligerent towards him. Now they knew why.

In days since, Shifu had paid particular attention to her; his other students were used to it, and had come to forgive him for his earlier treatment of them. Getting on the good side of a scorched tiger was another thing entirely! Po recalled a saying Shifu had said one day after Tigress had been in a particularly bad mood: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

How true.

Mantis was the first into the kitchen, whistling and in a generally good mood. "Mornin' Po."

"Mornin', how'd you sleep?"

"Eh, the usual. Fruit porridge again?"

"Apples this time."

"Ah." Po was instantly suspicious; the insect was never one for small talk.

"So…anything going on?"

"Oh, not really," the insect said slyly, "Except that Tigress just got back…"

"_What?_" the panda gaped. "She _just_ got back? Back from…"

"Her date? Yup," he said smugly. "Heard her sneaking in late last night, _really_ late; dunno when it was, but it was after midnight."

"Huh, I guess her date went well."

"I'll say," Mantis insinuated. Viper came out of nowhere and whapped him with her tail, "You're horrible!" she exclaimed. "Think of her feelings!"

"Whose feelings?" Monkey asked as he and Crane entered. Viper whispered to them, "You know how she stayed at Mr. Ping's late last night? Said she'd be right up?"

"Yeah, when did she come home? It was after I was asleep," Crane said.

Viper looked uncomfortable, "Um, maybe…two hours ago?"

Eyebrows raised all around the table.

"Oh…wow."

"Must have…been a very good date. Mantis, _no,_" Crane started, slapping a wing over the insect's mouth. "Remember, we treat innuendos like we treat drinking…"

"It's five 'o clock somewhere," Mantis reasoned, earning him another _whap_ from Viper.

Monkey frowned, then shushed everyone as Shifu entered the room. "Good morning, everyone," he greeted.

"Good morning, Master," they chorused.

"I trust everyone had a good night's sleep?" he asked, taking his place at the table. His students all nodded, but the question forefront on their minds was what to say about Tigress.

"Where is Tigress?" Shifu asked.

Almost on cue, the feline master glided into the kitchen, a smile plastered on her face, "Good morning! How is everyone on this beautiful day?"

If Shifu's jaw could have dropped any farther, it would have hit the tabletop. Everyone else was staring at her. Since when was she such a morning person? And since when did she _smile_ like that?

Po and Viper shared a worried look, but then it became obvious: that date must have gone _really_ well.

Tigress went straight for the cupboard and grabbed seven bowls, setting the table for breakfast, humming softly. She didn't see Shifu's eye twitching or Mantis's dumbfounded expression. The insect and Po shared a look, wondering just what in the world Tigress and Dalang had done the night before.

Viper silently offered tea to the feline, who took it gratefully, grinning ear to ear. "So…Tigress…" the serpent began slowly. "You…slept well?"

"I slept _wonderfully_, thank you so much for asking! And you?"

"Um, fine, fine, just…are you feeling okay?"

"Viper, I'm feeling _wonderful_!" she beamed.

Viper frowned then snapped, "Okay, that's it, all the men-folk, out!"

"What?" Crane asked. "As in…"

"If you are a male, get out, NOW. Um," she blushed when Shifu gave her a look, and offered as an explanation: "If you don't mind stepping out for a moment, Master…emergency girl-talk session."

"Of course, no need to explain; we'll be in the courtyard…" Shifu nodded to his male students and ushered them outside. He stopped them after he closed the door and motioned with a nod to press their ears to the door.

* * *

On the other side of the closed door, Viper stared at Tigress, who beamed back at her. "Okay, am I the only one who missed the ferry here? What happened last night?" the serpent asked.

Tigress giggled—she actually _giggled_—and Viper grew very worried. All the evidence was pointing to one conclusion, and it made her very concerned.

"Quit giggling like an idiot and tell me what happened! What did you _do?!_"

"He kissed me!" Tigress finally gushed.

Viper blinked. "He…he kissed you."

"Yes, he did!" she grinned, gossiping like a lovesick teenager instead of an adult kung fu master. Her words were strung together as she rattled off, "He came to the restaurant, just like Mr. Ping said he would and Viper you should have seen him, he looked _so_ handsome and when he saw me he looked surprised but then he smiled, oh, that smile! We sat down and…what?"

Viper's eye twitched—she was sure Shifu's would too, if he were hearing any of this. "Tigress, stop, you're scaring me."

She let out a delighted squeal and leaned forward. "Let me tell you how it went, and you'll see why I'm in such a good mood…"

* * *

_Late last night…_

She moved her piece across the board, her fingers very close to touching his. Dalang appeared to know exactly what she was playing at, for he smiled at her, and moved his own piece.

"I didn't know you liked tea so much," he said, by way of small talk, and getting to know her, of course.

Tigress nodded, stealing a piece from the board. "I didn't used to; I started drinking more of it to calm my nerves."

"Nerves? I don't believe that—you're always so calm."

_How can I be calm when I'm around you?_ she wanted to ask him, _Don't you know what you do to me?_

"My training helps, takes out any aggression and…stress."

"Right, so, um, do you do…anything else?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"Well, do you have any hobbies, other than kung fu?"

"Well, I meditate."

"Anything else?"

She was starting to feel self-conscious; what if he thought she was boring? _Make up something, fast! 'No, if I do, I'll be lying to him on the first date!' How do you know this is even a date?_

"Tigress?"

"I…don't really do anything else," she said truthfully. "My whole life has been my training, to be the best I can be."

"But you _are_ the best," he said.

She blushed, but looked away shamefully, "There's always room for improvement…"

"Did Master Shifu tell you that?" he asked levelly. She didn't know how to take that tone; on the one hand, it sounded like he was disrespecting her master, but on the other side of the coin, he was hitting the nail on the head.

"Nothing was ever good enough for him," she said sullenly, moving a piece across the board. "I didn't become the Dragon Warrior; I couldn't defeat Tai Lung…"

"Yes, but you also won many battles against entire armies, and I can tell just by looking at you that even if the odds were 100 to one, you'd come out on top," he assured.

"You really think so?" she glanced at him. He was smiling slightly.

"I have faith in that. You're a fierce, ambitious woman, who knows exactly what she wants. What surprises me is that someone so smart, capable and beautiful has self-doubt," he looked at her, a concerned expression on his handsome face. "But I guess that happens to the best of us."

"You're saying I should suck it up."

"Never—that's what keeps you humble. But maybe that self-doubt was what kept you from attaining those goals? My mother used to tell me that the biggest obstacle in any path to greatness is second-guessing yourself."

"Do you second guess yourself?"

"Oh, all the time—I'm trying to kick that habit," he smiled uneasily. "In my defense, having six older brothers who were just amazing, prodigies in anything they put their minds to…I had to work for everything. Nothing ever came easy to me…"

What he was saying struck a cord with her. She knew exactly how that felt, to work so hard but feel it was never enough. Finally, here was someone who understood!

"But you are a master," she told him. "You're the best cook in the whole valley."

"Don't let Mr. Ping hear you say that," he joked, taking a sip of tea. He saw she was staring at him, and he pulled on his collar a little. Tigress averted her eyes, "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…"

"No, it's not that," he said, and to her disbelief he started unfastening his green jacket quickly, revealing the stark white of his bare chest. Tigress's mouth hung open as he shrugged the jacket off, unabashedly revealing his upper torso to her.

Oh, wow…

The sleeveless shirts he usually wore hid a very…_very_ nice body. Tigress felt her face get very hot and she could only imagine she looked as red as her vest. Dalang set the jacket aside, sighing.

"Sorry, I'm not used to these southern summers yet. I'm from the north, and I thought it'd be cooler at night."

"It's the humidity," she said quickly. _And _thank you_ humid South China summers!_ "Heat has nothing to do with it."

"I believe it. I just wish my fur wasn't so thick, it'd make it more bearable…"

She didn't know what to say to that, she was too busy staring at him. He caught her look, staring back and noticing how uncomfortable she looked. "Um…you're not used to being around shirtless guys, are you?"

"Not hot ones," she blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth. Dalang's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Tigress looked away, completely embarrassed. Oh hell, she _had_ to say it!

"You think I'm hot?" he chuckled. "Wow…um…"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…" she corrected herself quickly, "I mean, I _did_ mean that you're, well, attractive, but I didn't mean…that is, I…" she gasped softly when he took her hand in his. His fingers wrapped themselves around hers; his hands were calloused from hard work, and he had a few burn scars, but aside from that, they were soft, and gentle. Tigress suddenly wished she had more feminine hands, not the strong calloused hands she'd acquired after years of training.

He didn't seem to mind.

"Tigress, I…" he sighed raggedly, "Please; be patient with me…This isn't easy. I…" he paused. "I've always…thought you were an amazing woman. Since the Furious Five became famous across China, you alone were my favorite, and I could only imagine what you'd be like in person. Every image of you made you look so…tough, abrasive, I guess you could say. When we met in the restaurant the other night, I was expecting—and please don't take this the wrong way—I was expecting you to be…"

"A bitch?" she offered.

He sputtered out a laugh, then bit his lip. _Does he have any idea how sexy that is?_ Brain, NO, down girl!

"Um, well, yeah. But I tried to be nice, I've dealt with tough customers before, but I was surprised how…human you were. How normal and how humble you were. You aren't conceited like I thought you'd be, though you have every right to be. You've inspired so many women all over China, inspired them to be better than their circumstances, whatever they might be."

"That's funny, since another woman inspired me," she said.

"Really? Who?"

Tigress smiled shyly, "Wu Lien, the creator of the Lotus style of kung fu. My mother was a practitioner of it. I saw her practicing it, and I wanted to learn kung fu. Wu Lien's story was so amazing to me—a woman who was taught dancing her whole life, and used it to protect herself, using every day objects…"

He nodded, saying with a smile ghosting his lips, "Yeah, I've heard of her. I heard she once led a coalition of village girls and women, as young as six…"

"And as old as seventy," Tigress finished, "and defeated Mongol invaders using only folding fans and common house wares, kitchen knives and farming equipment. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be amazing, to be a hero like that…"

"I think you've done just that," he said, squeezing her hand. "I think you'd make 'The Mountain Lotus' proud."

Tigress smiled at him, blushing shyly, flattered by his compliments. "If you keep complimenting me like that, it'll all go to my head."

"Good, they should. Every woman needs to be told how wonderful they are, and how appreciated they are. And…how beautiful they are." He was looking right at her as he said the last sentence. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his eyes. They were piercing her down to her core, and she inexplicably felt drawn closer to him.

He closed the distance, and boldly kissed her, squeezing her hand, entwining their fingers together.

Her head was swimming as his lips brushed against hers. It barely registered at first, until her mind screamed _your first kiss! This is your _first _kiss!_

And ye gods it felt amazing!

Her breath quickened, their lips brushing against each other again, before Tigress closed the deal, pressing her lips against his. He pulled back a little in surprise, but let out a pleasured sigh in the next second, returning her kiss with equal fervor.

When their lips parted, he was smiling dreamily at her. She was sure she had the goofiest grin on her face, but he didn't care. He brought his hand up and cupped her cheek, caressing his thumb over her fur.

"That's what I like to see," he whispered. "You're so beautiful when you smile, do you know that?"

"Now I do," she whispered back.

"Good." He kissed her again.

* * *

Viper squealed with delight, "How romantic!"

"I know!" Tigress gushed, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, it was amazing!"

"What happened after that?"

Tigress sighed sadly, "We finished the game, and he had to go back…He has to get up early for work."

"So where did you go?"

"The Sacred Peach Tree…I couldn't sleep, not with what happened! I needed to think about this, it was all so sudden…"

"You don't regret it do you?"

"_Hell_ no!"

Viper laughed. "There's the Tigress we all know and love! But, wow…he practically threw himself at you!"

"He likes me…he really likes me…he wants to meet again."

"Then when are you seeing him?"

"He invited me to dinner…"

"Yes…" Viper sounded excited for her.

"And he's going to cook…"

"Even better!"

"And it'll be a picnic at a special spot he mentioned…"

"Oh wow, he's not wasting any time, is he?"

"Should I be worried?"

"You, worried?" Viper scoffed. "You could snap him like a toothpick if he tried anything! What is there to be worried about?"

Tigress frowned. "Not that I'd want to do that to him."

Viper smiled wickedly, "Oh, I can think of a few things you'd probably rather do…"

"VIPER!"

"Sorry, sorry! That was Mantis talking!"

"You need to stop hanging out with him so much."

"I know, I know…but seriously, when you came in this morning, and we didn't see or hear you come in until a couple hours ago…we thought something else had happened."

Tigress blanched, "Wait, you mean, you all thought he and I had…?"

Viper nodded slowly, then explained herself, "Well, yes, what _else_ would we think? I mean, you were in a _very_ good mood…it was kinda scary, actually."

"So I should tone down the exuberance?"

"I would, I don't think I've seen Master's eye twitch that much before…"

Tigress laughed softly, "I'll keep that in mind…but I bet he's not the only one with a twitching eye now, since all of the men folk have been listening at the door!" she called over her shoulder.

One of the males—most likely Mantis—stifled a curse, and they all guiltily shuffled into the kitchen, taking their seats quietly. Viper winked at Tigress, who smirked back. The only one she was worried about, as she picked up her spoon to begin eating, was Shifu, who had started to stare at her. Unnerving as it was, Tigress knew by instinct what was wrong.

Shifu did not yet approve of Dalang; and if the red panda still thought of her as a daughter, Tigress figured Dalang would be getting a visit from the kung fu master very soon.

* * *

A/N: Shorter chapter this time, but I'll make up for it later on, promise! Hope you all had an amazing weekend, and see you all Saturday night!


	10. Meet the Master

A review by the always wonderful RenkonNairu gave me the idea for this chapter. Poor Dalang…

Also! I will be attending Otakon, the largest anime convention on the Atlantic Seaboard, next weekend, August 8-10. So, there will not be an update that weekend as I will be too busy being Miss Uber-Geek for three glorious days. Stay tuned for another update shortly before Thursday evening. Much love!

* * *

Chapter 9: Meet the Master

* * *

Shifu stood in the training hall, watching his students sparring. Since breakfast, he'd noticed quite the change in Tigress; she was not as ferocious as usual, but there was a renewed vigor and vitality to her fighting, an energy he had never seen before. Whatever this Dalang person was doing, he was doing a good job.

Which made the aging master wonder. He tapped a finger on his staff as he thought. He'd only had a few words in passing with the tiger, and his "aunt". Perhaps it was time to see how much he could learn about this male who had captured the tiger master's attention.

He ducked as Tigress crushed one of the Seven Swinging Clubs of Oblivion, then watched with a small smile as she back-flipped onto the jade turtle to spar with Monkey. The primate was grinning along with the feline, the pair exchanging blows and upstaging each other with acrobatic feats.

Crane and Viper were sparring out in the courtyard, the serpent working on her subtlety as Shifu had suggested before. Crane's speed had stepped up; the master smirked at this. Those two were quite the pair, perfect compliments of the other, and made for exceptional fighters. To watch them spar was to see them in their elements, to see Viper's deadly speed and subtle grace, and Crane's strength cultured from years honing the skills of maximum force with minimal effort.

Now if only the bird's mother didn't hate Viper so much.

Shifu sighed, shaking his head. He counted his lucky stars that he had nothing to do with any family anymore. Tigress's parents had clung to their daughter for the longest time until she—not Shifu—finally severed the apron strings. Monkey and Mantis had always been independent, and, as males, their families were automatically more willing to give them the freedom they deserved.

Crane on the other hand…his easy-going nature was due in some part to his overbearing mother, who, it seemed, didn't let go after the egg had hatched. The bird's patience was no doubt a reflection of the stubbornness of the old hen; patience was a virtue that Crane held dear. Of all the elements, Crane was like Earth, solid, calm and unshakable.

Viper on the other hand, was like fire. She and Tigress had that much in common. Shifu had cursed the day he discovered the females' fiery natures. It was bad enough having two hormonal teenage girls at the same time, but giving them explosive tempers as well?

Had he been a follower of astrology, he would know that Tigress was a Wood-Fire tiger, wild, yet rooted to the earth like an ancient oak. Viper was a mix of Water and Fire, and while that should have balanced her elements out, what it did was make it worse. Not as quick to anger as Tigress, but when the pot boiled over…well, Shifu was glad he could only count the number of explosions on one hand. Her venom was nothing compared to what she could do when totally and completely angry.

"Hell has no fury like a woman scorned," Oogway had said after a rare Viper outburst. _Or a woman's wrath,_ Shifu thought as he watched her.

Viper slithered along the ground, then shot straight up, avoiding a downward strike by Crane. When she fell back to earth, she wrapped herself around his neck, then around his wings, holding them back and rendering him helpless.

"Hold!" Shifu called to them. "Viper, good work. Crane, remember her tendency to dodge, then strike. You might win next time." Not that he ever would. Shifu saw the look that Crane sent Viper; the serpent was oblivious. No, Crane would never win a match against her. He let her win every single time.

_And he thinks he's not being obvious,_ the master thought slyly. Looking back to his other students, he noticed one was missing. He hailed Mantis as the insect came for a drink of water, "Where is the panda?"

"Kitchen," the insect said. "Where else would he be?"

Shifu sighed raggedly, "Ah…of course. Do me a favor and whip him into shape out here. I have an errand to run in the village." As he turned to go, Mantis asked,

"Isn't this something one of us could do for you, Master?"

Shifu looked over his shoulder at the insect, then across the hall to where Tigress was practicing her form on the field of fire.

"No," the master said, "This is something I must do alone."

* * *

Dalang whistled cheerfully as he prepared breakfast that morning, pulling out all the stops for the residents. He made congee, as he did every morning, but this time he added fresh fruits and extra servings of rice. Mei Xing was the first one in the kitchen, and she scowled at him and his perky mood. Slumping down into her seat, she laid her head in her arms.

"What's up, kitty?" he asked her, still whistling a joyful tune.

She looked at him and asked, "May I ask you a question?"

"You may, and I might have an answer, let's see if they match."

"Have you ever seen Tai Lung drawing?"

"Huh?" he turned to look at her, tossing caramelized fruit slices into the air. "Drawing, him? You're kidding right?"

She shook her head, taking the folded up page from inside her bodice. "I found this on my floor this morning. Someone opened the door, dropped it, and then left."

"And you think Tai Lung did it?"

"Who else would it be? You can't draw a stick figure, Su Lin hates charcoal, and Aunt, she paints, not draws."

Dalang lowered the heat on the stove and glanced over the drawing, letting out a long, low whistle in approval, "Wow, nice. Hey, now that I think about it…that looks like the view from the window…"

"Of his room," she finished. "I didn't know he could draw."

Dalang shrugged, "Honestly, the idea of the infamous Tai Lung being an artist…"

The felines shared a look, then both sputtered out laughing. Mei Xing grinned, "You're right, it's ridiculous. But if he did it…_why_ did he do it?"

"You're asking the wrong cat, I have no idea. Maybe he felt bad?"

"What, about last night? He has no reason to…" she said dejectedly. "I'm the one who attacked him…"

"You thought he was that son of a dog of a husband of yours. If I'd come to the same conclusion, he'd probably be buried back in the garden by now…"

"Dalang!"

"Hey, I'm just saying!"

"Is Aunt going to tell him about…?"

"She said she was going to, I don't know if she's doing that now, or later. She told me her horoscope—and his—both said today was the day."

"She's coming clean with everything?"

"Far as I know."

"Speaking of coming clean…what's got you in such a mood this morning?"

Dalang only grinned, "I hate a pretty awesome night last night.

"Really?"

"I ran into Master Tigress, and we had an informal 'date'…which we ended with the hottest kiss I've ever had!"

"_Really?_" she said, perking up. "I had no idea the two of you…"

"Well, we're not 'official' yet…I want to be."

"What makes you 'official'?"

"Asking her father for permission to court her," he said, not hearing the interloper behind him until he cleared his throat.

"Then you should ask me," Shifu said, "I live closer."

"GAH!" Dalang jumped sky-high, food in the pans going everywhere. The tiger quickly grabbed the emptied pans, deftly catching the contents before they hit the ground. He stared down in shock at Master Shifu, who had entered the kitchen without either of the felines noticing.

The red panda smirked at the tiger's expression; this would be easier than he thought.

"So, I understand you have an interest in my student, Master Tigress, hmm?" he began congenially enough.

Dalang's cheeks burned red, and he rubbed the back of his neck uneasily after putting the pans back on the stove. "Uh…yeah, I mean, yes!" he corrected his grammar.

Shifu narrowed his blue eyes at the tall tiger, then sighed through his nose, "Hmm, interesting. Are you busy?"

"We were just about to have breakfast," Mei Xing said. "You're welcome to join us…"

"I've already eaten, but thank you Miss…?"

"Mei Xing. I'm one of the waitresses…"

Shifu looked at her intently for a long moment before nodding, offering her a smile, "Ah yes, I remember you—you almost socked that ox thug when he made a pass at you."

Dalang grinned, "That's the Mei we know and love."

Mei blushed a little, "Well, he was being nasty, and left a lousy tip…"

"I see," Shifu said. "Dalang, was it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I would like to talk with you…"

"Okay."

"Alone."

"Oh," he said, the hopeful smile falling from his face.

Mei took the hint and slipped out of the kitchen, and up the stairs, to warn Wu that they had a very unexpected guest. Dalang and Shifu were left alone in the kitchen, the red panda casting a critical eye over the tiger, and the tiger looking anywhere but at the kung fu master.

"Are you looking for something?" Shifu asked.

"Uh, tea?"

"Tea would be nice, thank you."

Shifu and Dalang were both startled when Aunt Wu descended the stairs. The female red panda grinned when she saw Shifu. "Well! What a pleasant surprise! Master Shifu, what brings you to our humble abode?"

"Business, madam," he said flatly. Aunt Wu glanced over at Dalang, and she saw the tiger beginning to sweat.

"Ah," she nodded in understanding. "May I offer you some tea?"

"Your chef already offered."

"Dalang, make him some milk tea with honey, would you? I'm sure he'll like it. Oh, and don't forget the cinnamon!" she beamed. Dalang let out the breath he'd been holding and quickly moved off to grab the necessary articles. Wu turned to Shifu and bowed respectfully. "It is always an honor, Master…"

Shifu looked at the female and nodded, smiling thinly. "Yes, Madam Wu."

"Please, Master, you may call me Lotus."

Shifu blinked, his blue eyes widening. Wu only returned his stare, her green eyes staring back to his. The smile ghosting her lips was faint, but it was there. It was her favorite smile to use, the one that told the recipient that she knew a secret.

But judging by Shifu's reaction, he already knew what her secret was.

"M-Madam…" he gasped.

"Yes, Master Shifu?"

He paused, not saying a thing until she drew out the folding fan she kept on her person all the time. She opened it and lightly fanned herself, combating the humid morning. She watched the master's eyes directly as they lowered to the design on the front of her fan.

"That's…lovely artistry," he said after a quiet moment.

"Thank you, it was a gift," she continued to smile.

"An admirer?"

"An old friend," she said, smile turning from care-free to sorrowful. "One whom I lost years ago."

"I am very sorry Madam Lotus…"

She waved her fan idly, as if signaling to forget it, "Bah, its too lovely a morning to dwell on the past. Please, Master, join us for breakfast…"

"I've already eaten," he said respectfully.

"Then may I ask what brings you here?"

"Your chef."

Wu looked alarmed, "Has he done something to disrespect you?"

"Nothing of the sort…" he paused. "Yet."

"Oh dear, Dalang, what nonsense have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Nothing!" the tiger called from the back of the kitchen. "I will say nothing to further incriminate myself!"

Wu arched an eyebrow, and shared this look with Shifu. "Alright," she said to him, offering a seat at the table, "I think its time we talked."

"Agreed," he sat, leaning his staff against the table. The red pandas sat adjacent to each other, sharing glances. From afar, the casual observer would think the aging creatures sought company with the other, that there was a certain attraction. Anyone who knew Shifu and Wu knew differently; they were studying the other.

Shifu noted the gentle grace of her hand as she lightly fanned herself, the proud way she sat with back straight and head held high. Her eyes were sharp and bright, denoting that she might not be in her prime, but she was far from standing down from an altercation. The look in her piercing jade eyes told him she had all the vitality and passion of a woman in her twenties, and a mind as sharp as the edge of a knife.

Wu was drawing her own conclusions about Shifu, but not comparing him to an opponent. He was handsome, and must have been a real lady killer when he was younger—if he had any love other than kung fu. He was small, like her, but she knew as well as anyone that size didn't matter—the size of the warrior in the fight was nothing compared to the size of the fight in the warrior. She'd survived all those years on that tenet alone.

The shared gaze told Shifu that she was fierce when she needed to be, but protective of the ones she loved. The people who worked for her, he found quickly, affectionately called her "Auntie" and in truth, she treated them all as if they were her own children. _Was she ever married?_ he caught himself wondering. _No, stop thinking foolishness._

"Ah, tea!" she smiled as Dalang set the two cups in front of them. "Thank you Dalang. No cinnamon?"

"There is some, Auntie, we're very low."

"Ah, well, we'll need to go to the market anyway. Have you given Su Lin the inventory list?"

"I was just about to," he bowed respectfully to Shifu. "If I may be excused, sir," he humbly asked.

"You may, you are dismissed," Shifu said, looking after the tiger as the cat bounded up the stairs. "Is he always so jumpy?"

Wu smiled thinly, pursing her lips together, "He's not used to meeting famous masters such as yourself."

"Is that what he told you?" he asked, accepting a cup of hot milk tea from her. She gave him a curious look,

"Now you have me wondering…what business do you have with Dalang?"

"He seems to have attracted the attention of one of my students."

"Really?"

"Yes, Master Tigress."

"_Really?_" she said, nearly dropping her fan. _Well, he'd said nothing of that last night… _"How very strange, he didn't mention anything to me last night."

"I doubt he would have, as I have doubts on the nature of their relationship, and what his intentions are…"

"Dalang might have been a wild tomcat in his teens and twenties, but he's older now, and is looking to settle. Believe me, he is a lover not a fighter; he would not string her along."

"Then perhaps you might answer a few of my questions…"

Wu laughed, "What do you take me for, a matchmaker? I'm a diviner, Master Shifu, and I own this restaurant. I have children whom I love and who care for me. I desire nothing more."

"Except to see them married, perhaps?"

She sent him an icy look, "Just because I am of _that_ age does not give you the right to lump me in with the rest of those harping, gossipy old biddies. There is no rush for Dalang, Su Lin or Mei Xing." _Certainly not Mei Xing,_ she thought. At that point, she also resisted the urge to look up to the ceiling, where Tai Lung was waiting for the old master to leave; she mustn't let Shifu know the snow cat was there.

"What brought you all to the Valley of Peace?" he asked, sampling the tea. He looked down at his cup, a satisfied smile on his face. "This is rather good."

"Thank you; it's an old family recipe. Well, in answer to your question, we came here from Manchuria, to be exact. Our living situation was…not safe, to say the least. It was a difficult life. We'd heard about the Valley, and mostly thought it was myth, until the Furious Five became such celebrities. Then we moved, Dalang decided to open a restaurant, and I have a side business casting oracles for the villagers. Su Lin is the assistant cook and head of the wait staff, and Mei Xing is working her way up to succeed Su Lin."

"You like it here?"

"It is very agreeable, yes. Probably the best place I've ever lived, and I've lived in quite a few places."

"Where, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Dian, Sichuan—that's where I met Su Lin—and Manchuria, where I met Dalang. I also lived in Peking for a time, and Hong Kong. I've visited Southeast Asia; I'm afraid I've been quite fond of curry ever since!"

"Speaking of Dalang," Shifu said slowly, "He's…rather big for a tiger, isn't he?"

Wu shook her head, taking another sip of tea. "He's an Amur tiger, the largest of the species. His ancestors were from the far north, where winter lasts nearly all year, and the frigid cold leaves only one law: to survive."

"I see; does he have any family?"

"None he wishes to stay in contact with," she said hesitantly. "He's told me he was disowned."

"Did he give a reason?"

"For 'following his heart' he told me. He always loved cooking, but his family wanted more from him. I assume they wanted him to be a top scholar for the Imperial family, but no, his first love was always food."

"And yet he's rather thin."

"Lucky son of a dog has an overactive metabolism. He could eat a feast every day and not gain a pound."

"He's told you nothing of long-term plans?"

"He wants to hire a second chef, so he's not so busy," she said, hinting at something. "Maybe expand a little. For now, he's content, and wants nothing else…to my knowledge."

"He was on a date, it seems, with Tigress."

"Last night?"

"Last night."

"How very curious…" she mused. "Well, I don't suppose he'd tell me anything. Ever since ZhuZhu, he's kept any girls close to the chest."

"Who was she?"

"ZhuZhu? Oh, she was a girl he had his eyes on for the longest time in Manchuria. He exalted her, practically turned her into his own personal goddess. He was blinded by love, and didn't see she was stringing him along. I tried warning him, and he ignored me…until he got his heart broken."

"Passionate is he?"

"What Dragon person is not?" she chuckled, then explained when he gave her a confused expression. "People born in the year of the Dragon are very passionate individuals, fiercely protective of loved ones, and at times, if not careful, will let their emotions take them away."

"I've also heard they're quite stubborn."

She laughed, "Oh they are! Make no mistake about that. Now as for you…" she looked at him, studying him a moment, then smiled, "You are year of the Dog."

He stared at her, the tea cup halfway to his lips. "How…how did you know?"

"Dogs are loyal, noble, and true, terrible liars, and seek to control any situation they come across. You showed loyalty to your student by seeking answers on her romantic prospect, to ensure she would not get hurt; a very noble trait as well. You came into my home and I instantly saw the honesty in your eyes—those eyes are open windows, I'm afraid. And as for control…well, you have a bit of a reputation for trying to control everything and everyone."

Her description was spot-on, but he wasn't going to admit that. He refused to believe that astrology had him pegged. "So you say," he said. He took a long draught of the tea and sat in silence for a while. "I wanted to speak with him in private."

"I know."

"You're not going to allow that, are you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, no I will not."

"Why not?"

"When he is not uncomfortable with you, and not under fire like you've put him under, he will show his true colors."

"And you're giving me no inclination as to his intentions?"

"Actions speak louder than words, Shifu," she said casually. Hearing her drop the honorific "master" irked him to no degree, but he diplomatically said nothing. He drained his cup and set it down. The look she shot him caught him off guard, and the cup fell off the edge of the table. Before Shifu could move, Wu placed her hand over the cup and deftly turned it right-side up. She smirked and turned over the empty cup onto a saucer.

"Would you like more?" she asked. Shifu only glared at her smug expression. With a huff, he got up to leave, "Not today, Madam. I still expect a talk with your chef."

"Why do you do that?" she suddenly attacked. "He has a name, _I_ have a name. Yet here you are, referring to him as 'the chef' and myself as 'madam'. You know our names and yet you refuse to use them. Why?"

Dalang and Su Lin chose that moment to walk down the stairs, and both tiger and panda witnessed what happened next.

"I have my reasons," Shifu said, leaving no room for interpretation.

Wu glared, "Yes, I'm sure you do. May I walk you to the door, _Master_?" she mocked.

Dalang and Su Lin shared a look; Auntie was never so blatant in her dislike of someone! But sure enough, that hellish fury burning in her jade green eyes, and all of it aimed at Shifu's icy stare.

"I can find my own way, thank you," he said, picking up his staff. When he spotted Dalang, he ignored Wu's glares and marched right up to the tiger.

"You!" he said, shoving the end of the staff in Dalang's face. The tiger jumped back, staring in shock at the diminutive master. "What are your plans for the future?!"

"Uh…expand the restaurant, maybe hire a couple more cooks…"

"Are you financially secure?"

"I'm…working on it…" he said uneasily, his eyes darting to and fro, searching for a way out.

"What is your philosophy on the treatment of women in the family dynamic?"

"Huh?"

"Out with it!"

Dalang paused, then said, "I'll only say this: if Mama ain't happy, ain't _nobody_ happy."

Shifu arched an eyebrow. "Who told you this?"

The tiger gave him a wry smile—the only kind he felt he could use without getting his tail kicked halfway to Mongolia. "Mama didn't raise no fool."

Shifu chuckled, "Fair enough. Do you want children someday?"

The tiger answered before Wu or Su Lin could stop him. He didn't realize it was a trap until it was too late, "Well sure! I love kids, and hey, if the right woman came along, and wanted kids too…"

"So, you would have children with Tigress."

"Wait, what?"

"Which tells me that you are already having impure thoughts about her!" Shifu growled.

"Master Shifu," Dalang stammered, "please, I didn't mean for…"

"What are you intentions with her?!"

"My intentions?" he was clearly in over his head—which was saying something, considering his height.

Luckily for him, Su Lin came to his rescue. She gently tapped Shifu on the shoulder, "Um, begging your pardon, sir, but may I ask how old Tigress is?"

Shifu stared at the female panda a moment, his anger dissipating with the sweet, innocent expression on her face.

"Twenty-six," he said. "She will be twenty-seven in a month."

Su Lin thought for a moment, "Then…she's an adult, isn't she?"

It was Shifu's turn to be speechless. "Well, yes, but…"

"And though I don't know her very well, she seems to be the type who doesn't like someone fighting her battles for her."

"Well, you're right about that…"

"So, theoretically, doesn't that mean she's old enough to make her own decisions about who she dates or marries? She and Dalang have only known each other a few days, why not give it a little more time until you start grilling him? You never know."

And sure enough, that simple logic was all it took to pacify an extremely volatile situation. Shifu slowly took the staff away from Dalang's throat, the tiger letting out a sigh of relief. Wu fanned herself a little faster, feeling weak herself.

Shifu and Su Lin were sharing a look. He was studying her, while she looked back with mild curiosity. "Is something the matter, sir?" she asked quietly.

"Ah, no, no, everything's fine. You are…"

"Su Lin, sir," she smiled, bowing respectfully. "I hope you liked those dumplings the other night."

"You cooked them?"

"Oh yes, I'm teaching Dalang a new recipe with chopped bamboo shoots—he doesn't think they'll sell, but we'll see, won't we?" she beamed, her round face lighting up like the moon on a clear night. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were here visiting. Are you leaving already?"

"I must. Business."

"Hmph," Wu huffed. Shifu shot her a look over his shoulder.

Su Lin offered her hand to him. "Master Shifu, would you mind if I walked with you? I need to go to the market anyway, and its in the same direction you're going…"

How could he not help but smile at her and accept? "Yes, that would be fine. It is always good to have such agreeable company."

Su Lin giggled and began chatting animatedly as she escorted him out the door. Before closing the door, the panda motioned with her eyes up the stairs, and both Wu and Dalang knew what she meant. Tai Lung was still safe.

* * *

As soon as they knew they were gone, red panda and tiger let out relieved sighs.

"That was too close," Wu said.

"No kidding," the chef said, rubbing his throat, "I swore he was going to gut me at any moment. And _yes,_ I know what you really meant," he said as she sent him a look. "Crisis averted, we're not discovered."

"You might not be…but I think Shifu knows who I am," she confessed, closing her fan.

"So what if he does?" he asked, getting back to cooking with shaky hands. "What's he going to do, kick you out? He's not the magistrate."

"No, he's more powerful than any imperial magistrate. Shifu is the only one the Emperor himself would kneel to…"

"Have you figured out yet when we're going to…you know, let him loose?" he nodded up to the second floor room where Tai Lung was still awaiting Wu. The red panda sighed,

"The stars tell me when, and it will be soon, very soon. How to do it, I don't yet know. But today is the day that he needs to know everything."

"So you're unloading everything on him today, in the morning, when he's got the whole day ahead of him…"

"The whole day to think it over. Dish-washing is a very meditative form, and if he is calm and his mind is focused…" she paused, for a moment showing doubt in her own abilities. "No, I've kept him in the dark for too long."

"You know where he was last night," Dalang said, starting to serve the food.

Wu nodded. "It was hard to miss. Perhaps he will be more truthful if we give him reason to be."

"You aren't going to tell him about…" Dalang paused, looking uncomfortable. Wu sighed and walked over to grasp his large hand.

"Child," she said tenderly, "The only secrets I keep are the ones you are responsible for revealing. Anything said in confidence to me is kept in confidence, until the day you wish for them to see the light of day. Now…" she smirked, "before I go up, tell me about this date of yours…"

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when Shifu finally made it back to the Jade Palace. Instead of returning immediately, he had joined Su Lin in her shopping, stopping by various stalls and talking to the owners. Some people he hadn't seen in quite a while, others he was meeting for the first time; to all of them, he introduced the bubbly and honey-sweet panda, who beamed and giggled with every joke, and was overall a lively companion.

"Which do you think?" she asked his opinion when they stopped at a stall selling bolts of fabric. "I'm making a set of clothes for a new friend, but I don't want to make him anything too…unmanly."

Shifu chuckled, looking over the fabrics, "So you want my opinion? I, who knows and cares nothing for silly fashions?"

"Please?" she pleaded. "This means a lot to him, he's lost everything, and I'm just trying to cheer him up a little, you know?"

Oh, how could he say no to those big brown eyes? He pointed at a bolts of cotton and linen, in deep blue, black, and various shades of green. "Rule of thumb," he said to her, "The darker, the better. Nothing too bright—women are more apt to wear bright clothes than men."

Su Lin looked about the marketplace and saw he was right—men wore much simpler clothes than the women, and many were plain and dark-hued. "Oh, okay! Gosh, that makes this so much easier…oh, but what about red?"

"Only for special occasions," Shifu said. "But its important to have nonetheless…" he searched around and saw flashes of red fabric on the table in front of him. Su Lin shook her head, "None of that."

"Why not?"

"Poor quality. I never shop right off the street; the best stuff is in the back. But it's out of my price range. He could use a red silk jacket…maybe I'll have enough saved for the New Year's Festival…"

"Its fifty percent off," he pointed out.

Her countenance brightened, "Oh! Well that's better!"

He smiled as she swept through the stalls, picking up bolts of cloth and hailing a woman to cut the right measurements. The kung fu master watched with arched brow as the amount of fabric kept growing.

"How big is this friend of yours?"

Su Lin blushed. "He is…rather tall. And muscular."

He chuckled, sensing her unease, "No need to explain, I understand."

"You do?" she sounded worried.

"He is your sweetheart isn't he, whoever he is?" he asked, confused. Su Lin let out a laugh that sounded almost as a relief, a blush on her cheeks. "Oh! No, no, he's really not. He's just someone I think who needs a little kindness."

"Are you always like this?"

"Always like what?"

"Never mind," he had muttered.

Now, just an hour after he had seen her safely back to her home, Shifu kept wondering about her. It was rare to find someone so blissfully happy with their existence…

Then he saw Tigress coming out of the training hall, looking as fresh as if she had just woken up. The other Five were panting, ragged and exhausted. Shifu sighed, _Speaking of happiness…_

"Master Shifu!" Tigress greeted. The smile on her face brightened the courtyard, and he couldn't help but smile himself.

"A good day of training?"

"It is! I think I might run a few laps, or maybe challenge Po to another match…"

The panda limped out of the Training Hall as she said this, and his monochromatic face paled. Shifu wisely interjected. "Actually, today would be a good day for meditation…everyone, go to the Hall of Heroes, and meditate until dinner."

Po, Viper, Crane, Mantis and Monkey all groaned their approval and dragged themselves off to the Hall of Heroes, while Tigress started performing post-exercise stretches. Shifu cleared his throat, "I thought you might like to know where I went today."

"I already know, Master, you went into the village."

"Yes, I did," he said, staring at the one he had trained from a cuddly little cub into a beautiful, full-grown woman. "But there's something you need to do for me."

She snapped to attention and pressed her fist into her palm, "Anything for you, Master Shifu."

Shifu sighed; this wasn't going to be easy for him. "Just…be careful."

She looked confused. "But…aren't I always careful?"

"You'll see what I mean," he turned to leave for meditation, then stopped, turning to her with a satisfied smile, "By the way, he wants to know if Friday at dusk is a good time."

Tigress blinked in surprise. Did he really mean…? "Master?"

"Don't you have a date with that chef?"

"You…you're alright with this?"

"Not entirely," he admitted. "But I know you, I trained you, I practically raised you—and I trust you."

That made her heart soar. She bowed, grinning ear to ear, exclaiming exuberantly, "Thank you, Master!"

"Yes, yes," he waved it off. "Just promise me that if he tries anything…"

"I'll make sure grandchildren aren't an option," she said dutifully.

"That's my girl," he smirked.

* * *

Responses to reader reviews from the last chapter are on my blog (Find your name!). Link is on my bio page. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Sonam's Son

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda or the characters from movie canon. Characters _not _recognized from the movie belong to me.

Bit of a warning: This chapter has angst; then again, I seem to like writing angst, and this fic hasn't met my usual angst quota. Oh well, that's the way it goes. Read and review please! Reviewer responses are in the blog!

* * *

Chapter 9: Sonam's Son

* * *

Tai Lung let out the relieved sigh just as Dalang and Wu had done after Shifu had left. The leopard knew he was in deep trouble if he was discovered, and, always in the interest of self-preservation, he would need to be more careful in order to avoid the chopping block.

Only a few minutes prior, Mei Xing had grabbed Su Lin and dragged her into Tai Lung's room, locking the door. The female leopard warned everyone in a hissed whisper who their special guest was, and Aunt Wu jumped up to avert a crisis. She left the females with the male, and an awkward silence. Mei Xing avoided Tai Lung's gaze, sitting as far away from him as possible. Su Lin, ever unflappable, just grinned and shoved fabric pieces into his hands.

"Let me know which ones you like!"

Bemused, he handed them back, saying, "No light colors."

"Not even white?"

"White's fine."

"No pastels?"

Mei Xing spoke for him, "Su, men don't wear pastels, it's a threat to their masculinity, like flowers, expressing emotions, and washing dishes."

He scowled; it seemed the events of the previous night had not dulled her wit at all. She was still willing to embarrass him any chance she got. They locked eyes for a second and she smirked. "We could find you some purple; it might help you find the right guy…"

He opened his mouth to say something, but recalled her reaction to his entrance last night. The terrified paranoia and burgeoning tears in her eyes chilled him, and as he thought about it, it chilled him even more, wondering how bad her husband had been. Adding to her pain and misery would have made him feel worse than he already did.

But something still bothered him: if Mei Xing had been so abused, how did she have such a biting wit, and why did she always speak her mind? Shouldn't she have been afraid to do anything except sit and be silent?

He looked back at her, and saw he was right. She was afraid, she was just too proud to admit it.

Dalang poked his head into the room and whispered an update. Su Lin got up to leave, hoping to use her shopping trip as an excuse to get Shifu to leave sooner. Panda and tiger left the two leopards alone.

They fell into silence, neither of them wanting to say anything to the other. Mei Xing stared at the hands in her lap, while Tai Lung studied the wood grain in the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

"Why didn't you fight it?" he asked finally.

"What?"

"The marriage. Why didn't you fight it?"

She shook her head, "I was a worthless branch in my family tree, and no one cared about my opinion. I was seventeen, too, a young, immature girl; who cared what I thought?"

"Didn't you think of running away sooner?"

"I thought if I gave him what he wanted—like my mother told me to do—that he would change."

"The old woman said you never had children."

Mei Xing's face blanched. "That's not true." She bit her lip, fighting tears. "A stillborn daughter. She was the first, and the last to carry to term. Every time I got pregnant after that, he became convinced that I would only give him girls, and never a son."

"But a man needs sons to carry on his name," Tai Lung said; it made perfect sense to him. She surprised him when she snapped, "And what are girls?! If boys are all that matters, then why are there women at all?! I know why: so that men like you have someone to kick around and whip whenever you're angry!"

He growled. "Don't you dare…"

"It's a good thing you're forty and unmarried, because I bet that poor girl would be a bloodied mess at the end of the day."

"Shut up," he snarled.

She stood abruptly, pointing a finger at him. "Why? Why do you want me to shut up? Because it's true? Because you know that deep down, every man is just like HIM? Just like YOU?"

"Don't you dare associate me with him!" he roared, standing. "Shifu did not raise me to do that!"

"How would you know?" she yelled. "This is the first time you've ever dealt with a woman!"

He didn't have anything to fire back to that statement, so he backtracked. "I am not your husband," he growled. "I would never…"

"That's what he said. He said 'I'd never hurt you.' Ha!" she laughed derisively. "Did you see the scars? Did you see the scars up and down my arms? Do you wonder why I cover every part of my body?" She pulled up her pant legs and sleeves, and he involuntarily hissed at the severity of the scars. They looked like cuts, slashes, burns and bruises that never quite went away.

"He did this to me. So I got back at him…I always did. He wanted a son so bad; I made sure he never got one."

He stared at her, then when he realized what she meant, he was horrified. "You…"

She pressed a hand to her stomach. "No, I didn't do _that_; I took herbs. When you've been beaten and kicked around for ten years by someone who is supposed to protect you…you don't give a damn anymore. I was doing everything I could to get him to throw me out. Instead, he kept me as a slave while he courted concubines."

"I am _not _your husband," he repeated, not liking the accusing glare she was sending him.

"He and my father were the only men I have ever known. How would I know the difference?" With that parting shot, she stalked out of his room, slamming the door behind her.

Aunt Wu entered his room a moment later, shaking her head as she walked over to him.

"How much did you hear?" he asked.

"Everything."

"Is that why she hates me?"

"That you look and act like her husband did? Or that you are a snow leopard who could kill her if he wanted to? It wouldn't surprise me. But that's not why I'm here…"

She sighed as she handed Tai Lung a bowl of congee and a spoon. She sat on the mattress next to him, and looked down at her hands in her lap. He didn't start eating until she began.

"I will start by saying that I am disappointed in you. I thought I could trust you not to leave," she said quietly.

"Trust? _Trust_!" he said, slamming the bowl down. For some reason, this was the last straw, the last insult he would ever take from her. All the frustration of the past year, and the anger thoughts of revenge from the past twenty years, all boiled up and spilled over, and now there was no going back.

"Have you looked at yourself?!" he demanded. "I have no reason to trust you, to trust any of you! You've lied to me since day one!"

"I withheld truths that you were not ready to hear," she said sternly, looking up at him, "That is entirely different."

"The hell it is!" he seethed, standing abruptly. "I demand answers!" He was panting now, holding back on letting go of the reins of his temper, his white-knuckled fists curled around the proverbial reins to the restless soul.

"Tai Lung," she said, her voice soft, "I cannot give you the answers you want…only the ones you need."

"Don't you dare deny me!"

"You think you're entitled, do you?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest and narrowing her green eyes at him.

"I have every right to know what you know," he said through gritted teeth.

To his surprise, her voice softened: "What do you want to know?"

He paused, thinking about what had just happened. After a year of dodging questions and feigning answers, she was allowing him to ask what he wanted.

"Everything," he said. "I want to know from you, why I'm here. I want to know why you're helping me, keeping me here, keeping me from training, and what you're hiding, what you _all_ are hiding!"

"You know about Mei Xing."

"Her story is legitimate. I know nothing about you, Su Lin, or Dalang, except that he killed someone!"

Wu froze, her face blanching. "He…he told you this?"

"Was he not supposed to?"

"N-no, he could have told you what he wanted about himself…but why he chose that, I don't know…" She took a deep meditative breath, closing her eyes with a sigh. When she finally spoke, after taking it into consideration, she looked up at him. "Very well, I'll tell you everything. And I mean everything; you won't like everything you hear, but I can and will give you the answers you seek. I'll start at the very beginning."

He sat back down, only after her gentle urging. She flipped open her folding fan, and he saw a painted-on landscape of verdant mountains and white lotus blossoms. The same design, in fact, that Shifu had seen and identified immediately. Lotus…Mountains…Mountain Lotus.

His mind ground to a screeching halt and he stared at her, completely dumbfounded. He'd read about her in one of the 1000 scrolls of kung fu, she, the only woman to have a style of kung fu in her name! The only woman to have developed an art form from another art form; a woman who was most remembered for uttering the words _"What is kung fu but a dance between warriors?"_

He was staring at the famous Wu Lien, the Mountain Lotus.

Wu smiled at him, "Figured it out now?"

"How…"

"It wasn't easy, hiding it from you. My fan would have given me away in no time, if my mannerisms didn't do it sooner. Hiding it from Shifu wasn't easy either, I'm sure he's heard of me."

"But…what are you doing here? You had your own temple, your own palace school to train, didn't you?"

She looked away sorrowfully, lightly fanning herself, "That was before the Jiao."

"The what?"

"Not what, who. The Jiao clan, they came from the north, Manchuria, and descended upon my home, about…well, almost forty years ago, actually. They're a ruthless band of cutthroats, calling themselves an 'army' when all they really are is a ragtag bunch of thugs." She sighed. "But that's not where the story begins. My story is entwined with your story more than you know. See this fan?" she handed it to him, and he took the delicate cloth and wood structure into his large hands.

It was deceptively strong, he saw, and the hand-painted design on primed silk was clearly done by a skilled, graceful hand.

"That fan was made and painted by one of my students. Her name was Nima, and she was a snow leopard, from Nepal. Her parents sent her to me to learn dance—little did they know I was teaching her kung fu in Sichuan! She was a vision, a perfect dancer, so full of grace and gentility. But what a temper on her!" she smiled in remembrance, but quickly got back to her story before she got carried away. "She was one of the best students I ever trained. Her fan form was magnificent, graceful, her fans so hypnotic that any opponent who stood up against her would be distracted by the display, leaving her ample time to defeat them."

"Why should I care about…" he started, until Wu pressed her fingertips on his lips to silence him.

"Let me finish: when she was about twenty-five, she had been…well, she was a late-blooming lotus. Late-bloomers, however, are usually the flowers whose beauty lasts the longest. Beautiful yet deadly, the village men each tried to woo her, especially one, another snow leopard. He was a warrior, and his name was Sonam."

Tai Lung watched her as she took her trip down memory lane, waiting for the big explanation for why she was talking circles around him. Then she looked up at him and delivered the striking blow: "I swear you look just like him."

Wait.

Wait.

No way. There was no possible way…

"Nima and Sonam were your parents," Wu said, offering a sad smile. "I knew who you were the minute I saw you in the mountains. You look just like your father did. When you opened your eyes for a short while…" she cupped his cheek with her tiny hands, and tears sprung into her eyes; she whispered, "You have your mother's eyes."

"What happened to them?" he whispered. Wu sat back, taking a deep breath. "Well, at first, she wanted nothing to do with him. Sonam had an issue with pride and arrogance"—here she shot him a look—"and it prevented him from gaining her attention. He bothered her so much she finally told him 'If you can defeat me in battle, I'll consider the possibility of marriage'. So, he agreed, thinking he could beat her."

"Did he?"

"Are you kidding?!" she laughed. "She handed him his tail every single time! But he kept coming back. They fought dozens of times, I lost count. At first, it was his pride—he refused to admit that he'd let a woman beat him. But eventually, your mother began to see he wasn't even trying anymore. They still battled, but he wasn't trying to best her. She confronted him about it, and he said 'Why should I try? You will always be better than me, and I'll never win.' 'So why do you keep coming back' she asked. 'Because it brings me closer to you', he said. On that day, I do think your mother started to love him. They were married a month later…and thirty minutes later, she was pregnant," she added with a knowing smirk.

"Did they want me?" he found himself asking, fighting back the lump in his throat.

Wu patted his hand. "I wish you could have seen how happy your mother and father were. The minute he found out he had a son, he let the whole village know! Your mother though…" tears brimmed in her eyes. "It…it was a rough winter. You were born just a month shy of the first snow, and we feared you wouldn't survive. Nima was the most fearful for your health; she agitated easily, and it made her prone to sickness. She overextended herself, to keep you safe. One day she came down with a fever, and a week later, she was gone."

That hit him hard, the lump in his throat building. His stomach felt like he had swallowed lead, and his body slackened. "And my father?"

"He was devastated. He could barely move on—I needed to come in and tell him that you had already lost a mother, and that he should not deny you a father either. It took him a while to learn how to be both mother and father to you, but once he got it, boy did it stick! He would carry you around the village on his back in a sling, you, the adorable little ball of fluff watching the snowflakes falling and trying to paw at them…" she smiled at the memory. "He brought you up to see me, your Auntie Wu…oh, and you were a lady killer, even at three months! I couldn't hold classes if Sonam was bringing you; all the girls cooing over you like they'd never seen a baby before…"

Tai Lung smirked; a lady killer at three months old, eh? He'd have to remember that.

His ego boost came crashing down when Wu became serious again. "Then the Jiao clan came to our valley. It took us completely by surprise. Many of my students were too young and inexperienced to fight, and they were all raped and slaughtered, one by one. Your father took on Jiao Zhouhimself, defending me, and you. He took us away, out of the valley, to a safer place. 'Go to the Valley of Peace,' I told him. 'Master Oogway is there, he will not turn you away. I will meet you there.' I never did. I learned later by word of mouth that the Jiao had found a snow leopard male in the Valley of Peace, coming up the mountain to the Jade Palace, alone, and they'd killed him. The new Jiao patriarch, Jiao Shen, they said, had claimed responsibility for the slaying."

The red panda looked up at him, watching his expression. He stared at the wall, blankly, his eyes glazed over. What she didn't know is that somewhere in his mind, he was recalling something, a lost memory…

* * *

_Panting, heavy breathing, bare feet pounding on the ground, and strong muscular arms holding him close to a warm chest. He was tiny, wrapped in a warm blanket and bothered by the movement, but silent. As long as he was warm, and in Baba's arms, he was content._

_Sonam ran as fast as his legs would carry him. The snow leopard raced through the forest, jumping over fallen trees, splashing through creeks, anything to throw the Jiao off his trail. Branches whipped at his face, but he didn't care. The Jade Palace loomed into view. He could still make it!_

_He took a running leap, jumping up a tree and scrambling along a branch that hung over the village walls. He jumped down, hit the ground running. Sonam raced through the empty streets, dodging into back alleys and over fences before taking his flight to the rooftops. The snow leopard stopped on the roof of a noodle restaurant, close to the adorned gate to the grand staircase to the Palace, and checked on his son. _

_The baby boy looked back up at his father, then his little round face broke into a smile. Sonam couldn't help but smile himself, tickling the baby's cheek with his finger. "There now, son, almost there…"_

_His ears flicked behind him, and he looked over his shoulder. To his horror, there was a trio of warriors garbed in black, coming right after him. Sonam snarled and dove for the gate, running up the stairs. When he sensed his pursuers were too close he dove into the underbrush to the side, scaling the steep hill. _

_The lights of the palace loomed into view. So close, he was so close._

_Someone grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. Sonam whirled and slashed his claws over the masked assailant's face, making the other cry out and loosen his grip. The snow leopard looked around him, looking for anything he could use as a weapon. He hurled rocks, hitting his mark on the second assailant's head. _

_The baby was quiet throughout, though a little confused as to what his Baba was doing. Sonam bolted, clawing his way up the slope, dodging and zigzagging through the forest._

_Before he knew it, he was at the top of the stairs. Breathless, he looked at the giant vermillion doors in front of him. He let out a relieved laugh; they were safe! He kissed his son's forehead, laughing ecstatically. "We did it, Tenzin," he said to his son. "We did it, we're safe…"_

_The he heard the twig snap behind him. Sonam ducked, tucking his son away behind a rock so that he'd be safely out of the way; then he turned on his attacker. The snow leopard was as fierce as he was strong, letting out a roar of rage as he punched, kicked and clawed at his attacker. It was the one that had grabbed his ankle, already wounded, and Sonam was not going to let him live long enough to get him and his son._

_He struck the mortal blow, the attacker falling back and hitting his head on a rock. He stopped moving. Sonam yanked the mask off the pursuer's face. Jiao Zhou. Well, so the old tiger finally croaked. Sonam swelled with pride; he'd have to let Aunt Wu know the great patriarch was dead. _

_He looked back at the vermillion doors, and the little bundle nestled by them. His little son, Tenzin, started to cry. Sonam cursed; while he had initially welcomed his son's healthy set of lungs, this would put them both in danger! As he moved to comfort the babe, the doors opened. Sonam stood still and watched as a red panda perhaps no older than his late thirties, stood on the doorstep, staring at the child in wonderment. _

_The small creature knelt to pick up the child, who was still wailing. Sonam hid behind a tree and watched carefully, flexing his claws. If that red panda were to hurt his little boy…_

_To his relief, he saw the red panda smile, hugging the baby snow leopard tenderly; Tenzin stopped crying and only fussed a little. Taking one last moment to look around to see who left the baby, the red panda sighed and shook his head before stepping inside and closing the doors._

_Sonam smiled. Tenzin was safe._

_The sound of a sword being quickly drawn from its sheath caught his attention, and when he looked, all he saw was the flash of metal in the moonlight…_

* * *

Tai Lung was snapped back to the present, his face wet. He was crying. He hadn't cried since he was a child, a very young child. But here he was, a grown man, having just experienced his first vision, and it had been of his father's death.

Wu grasped his hand tightly. "When I saw you in the snow, I thought you were Sonam…then I realized you had to be little Tenzin. I took you in, hoping against hope that you were just like your father."

She paused; he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"When I found out you were also Tai Lung…I was…disheartened."

"Disappointed," he muttered.

"What?"

"Say it, you were disappointed!" he seethed bitterly. "Sonam gave his life for me, and look how I've lived mine!"

"How were you to know? You were scarcely a year old when you were found…"

"I disappointed Shifu…and, wherever they are, I've dishonored my parents…" he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He was crying, but he didn't care. "Vachir was right…"

"About what?" Wu said sternly. "What could that blowhard be right about?"

"I believed him, I believed him when he said no one gave a damn about me. My birth mother abandoned me, and my master abandoned me. Locked me up, threw away the key, no one wanted me…"

Wu felt something inside her snap. "I see…so on top of the physical torture, he sought emotional as well? And he was hailed as a hero…bah, my eye!" She stood and looked him dead in the eye, cupping his chin in her hands. "Now you listen here, your mother and father loved you very much. Your father gave his life so that you would be safe and well cared for. He intended to join you at the Jade Palace…but…"

"Jiao got to him first," he finished darkly. Wu nodded, "And that's what I was trying to do. Tai Lung…Tenzin, you grew up never knowing a mother's love, and forgetting that you _were_ loved…and still are."

She wiped away a tear, smiling reassuringly. "I still remember the day you learned to crawl. It was during training, I was leading a class, and all of a sudden, there's a little furball in the middle of the floor, sitting up and giggling. 'Look,' I said, 'there's a little someone who wants to learn kung fu too!'"

He smiled slightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering tenderly in his ear, "I saved you, and kept you here, because I knew that deep down, there was still good in you. Your mother was good, your father was good. The only darkness inside you is the pain and regret of never knowing your true family."

"And why did you keep me from training?"

"Forgive me," she said, looking into his eyes, "I was worried you would go on another rampage…I want people to see you for who you really are. That _beast_ that went on a rampage twice is _not_ who you are! You are the son of Sonam and Nima, and you might as well be my blood nephew! As far as I'm concerned, you _are _my family, and I will not give up on you. I know there is good in you, I have seen it."

"How?" he demanded. "When have you seen it? I'm bad through and through!"

"Are you? You could have killed Dalang when he slipped healing herbs into your meals; you could have overpowered Su Lin, and slain Mei Xing when she attacked you. You also could have left at any time, and yet you didn't."

This stunned him. "What?"

"You could have left," she confessed. "You were free to leave, any time you wanted, and yet you stayed. Even when you went out last night, you still came back." She kissed his cheek tenderly, like a mother consoling a child. "That is how I know there's good in you."

"You don't want me to train."

"I never said that. I said you weren't ready. The history I just told you…I had no idea how you would take it." She paused, then hugged him. "But judging from all of this…I think you are ready."

* * *

Later that night, Po was back in the kitchen mixing up something for a midnight snack. Everyone else had gone to bed a long time ago, and the panda was still up and about. This was a sign, as usual, that he would experience something wonderful.

"Is this seat taken?"

Po whirled around and found Tai Lung standing on the other side of the table. The snow leopard looked nothing like what Po remembered. The usual bravado and arrogance normally on the cat's features were gone, replaced by…dare he say it…humility?

"Nah, have a seat," Po said. "Hungry?"

Tai Lung stared at the stove, then shrugged. "If you want, I could."

Po served up two bowls of red beans and rice. Tai Lung silently took the bowl and chopsticks, then stared at the table as the Dragon Warrior dug in. The cat left his food untouched.

"I thought you said you were hungry?"

"I said I'd try," he said softly, then looked up, shoving the food to the side. "What I'm about to tell you, you must swear absolute secrecy. I don't care what happens to me, from here on out. If I'm discovered, captured and executed, so be it, I'll have paid for my sins. But the people I'm about to tell you about…not a word."

Po didn't like where this conversation was going. "Okay, I promise to keep your secret…whatever it is."

Tai Lung told him, everything. The mountain, Chor-Ghom, Aunt Wu and her family, and the revelation of the leopard's past. He unloaded on the panda in a way he could have never done with anyone else. Po sat quietly and listened as Tai Lung let everything out, all the frustration, the pain, the anger, the feelings of helplessness, all of it tumbled out like a damn bursting. When he was done, Po sat back.

"Wow."

"Indeed."

"I mean, wow…your dad really loved you."

"I wish I could believe that."

"No seriously…He carried you all the way here, and left you, intending to come back…and besides, I can't think of a better place for protection. And that Aunt Wu lady is really…"

"Wu Lien?" he laughed mirthlessly. "Yes, that threw me for a loop too."

"You got lucky," the panda said, then paused. "That Su Lin sounds really sweet."

Tai Lung smiled wistfully, thinking of the bubbly panda girl, who always greeted him with sunny smile and an energetic "good morning!" every day. "You have no idea…but that's why I'm here. I am not accepting your offer for training."

"Oh," Po said dejectedly.

"I want to ask you a favor—that you train Su Lin and Mei Xing."

"Huh?"

"Mei Xing has legitimate reasons for learning kung fu, you know that," he hadn't elaborated the female's story, just the base notes, "And Su Lin…well, I'd feel better knowing that she knew the basics to protecting herself."

"Why can't _you_ teach them?"

"I've never taught anyone in my life!"

"Neither have I, buddy!"

He hadn't thought about that. Leopard and panda glared at each other a moment, then Po got an idea. "We train them together."

"What? What kind of talk is that?"

"Think about it, you need practice sparring—we can do that together—and teach the girls at the same time."

"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

There was a long pause. Tai Lung and Po shared a look, then the leopard sighed, and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Alright, let's do it."

* * *

FYI: Nima, Sonam and Tenzin are real Tibetan names: Nima and all its alternative spellings is a unisex name meaning "sun". Sonam means "the fortunate one" and Tenzin—Tai Lung's birth name—means "Protector of Dharma".

Dharma, like other aspects of any religion, is difficult to pin down in a simple sentence. In Hinduism, Dharma is just as important as Karma, if not more so, and is interpreted by some to be the way in which we should govern our lives. In Buddhism, some regard dharma as the ultimate truth behind all things. Overall though, it's thought to mean "the righteous path", which Tai Lung is only just beginning to find.

Thanks for reading!


	12. Coming of Jiao Shen

Disclaimer: Don't own it, please don't sue.

* * *

Chapter 11: The Coming of Jiao Shen

* * *

"_How can you expect a man who is warm to understand a man who is cold?" – Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist_

* * *

"Watch your balance," Wu instructed, placing a bowl full of steaming hot water on Tai Lung's extended foot. "If one drop falls, you fail the test."

Tai Lung snorted, despite the awkward position he was holding in the kitchen. Dalang ducked to get around him as he prepared meals for the restaurant guests, and Su Lin hurried around, making sure the tiger had all the orders. He balanced on one foot, raising his arm and one foot higher and high on Wu's command. The ease of this was hampered by the bowl of scalding hot water perched precariously on his head. "Isn't there a better place to do this?"

"Like where?"

"Where I'm not in the way?" he offered sarcastically. "Or at least not in danger of scalding myself."

"Why do you think we're doing this in the first place?" Wu asked rhetorically. "My method of teaching is far different from Shifu's, in the respect that he is more about the strike, and I am more about the defense."

"That Lotus style is a style for taking advantage of an opponent's weakness, yes, yes, I know, I mastered that scroll…"

The red panda smiled slyly, "Did you? Did you master the style?"

He paused, contemplating how best to answer the question. "Um…"

"You didn't bother to learn it, did you?"

"Not…exactly?" he offered. When she fixed him with _the look_—a glare that every mother, and every woman, instinctively knows—he crumbled. "Fine! I didn't think I'd need to know it! I mean, how embarrassing is it to fight with a _fan_? Er…no offense."

"None taken," she said flatly. "And for that, I'm giving you no choice but to teach you dance."

The wooden bowls balanced on his head and foot both dropped, clattering to the floor. "WHAT?"

Dalang snickered and dodged just as Tai Lung made a swipe at his head. Aunt Wu cleared her throat, "Yes, you will learn to dance, just like your mother."

"One problem with that," he argued. "I'm not a woman."

"Good thing too," Dalang teased, "You'd make one ugly woman."

"Will you _shut up_?"

Wu slapped Tai Lung's thigh with her closed fan—hard. As he winced and nursed the bruise growing beneath his trousers, Wu stared him down.

"Dancers were not the only people I trained. I trained other martial artists, athletes, even warriors like your father."

"Why should they know how to dance? I didn't think you'd need to know how to do a pirouette in battle," he drawled.

She lifted one of his feet quickly and, despite his years of training—he lost his balance and fell on his back. She smirked, "For balance."

Winded, he slowly sat up, glaring at her. "This is going to be embarrassing."

"No," she smiled fondly, flicking open her fan. "This is going to be entertaining."

* * *

Viper watched Crane mix some ink together, grinding the black stick onto the ink stone, his brushes set off to the side. The day had been too hot and humid for the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior to train, and Shifu had "heartily suggested" that all the doors and windows in the dormitory be thrown open to allow a breeze.

Unfortunately, despite being at the top of a mountain, there was no breeze to be had. The warriors lazed about in the shade of the veranda, too tired for training, and too hot to focus on meditation.

Tigress, in a rare show of exhaustion, and supreme lack of prudish modesty that she was known for, lay out on the shaded veranda, clad only in a pair of light blue trousers, the legs rolled up to her knees, and a white sash wrapped around her chest to preserve her modesty.

Viper lay coiled next to her, fanning herself slowly, but quite enjoying the warmth, as cold-blooded creatures are apt to be. Yet the sun was just too intense today, even for her.

Of all of them, Po was having the hardest time adjusting. His thick fur combined with the heat did nothing to help. He sat propped up against the wall, drinking water and sweating.

Crane looked over at the panda and cleared his throat. "You know, Po, maybe you could try eating something spicy."

"Uh-uh," the panda said. "I'm hot enough as it is."

Tigress replied drowsily, her arm over her eyes, "No, it really works. I grew up in this weather—spicy food helps beat the heat. I suggest chili peppers…"

"With rice, or vegetables?"

"No, straight."

"_Straight?_" he stared at her in horror. "You eat them straight?"

She shrugged, too hot to argue, "I like spicy food."

"And spicy chefs," Mantis insinuated. He dodged Tigress's paw-swipe just in time.

"Mantis, if it weren't so hot…" the feline let her threat hang in the air. "Oh forget it," she groaned. "It's too hot."

"I'm surprised he has the energy to make comments like that," Monkey said, laying in a self-made hammock. The simian's tail flicked back and forth idly, like everyone else, tired and hot. His thick fur, like Po's, didn't lessen the discomfort.

Viper slithered over to Crane, who was enjoying the shade in his room. She watched as his brush began moving over the paper, and she smiled as an image began to take shape. "Thinking cool, huh?" she asked.

Crane smiled a little, fighting a blush, "Uh, yeah, hopefully. Whenever it's hot, I think of something cold, and vice versa, and it usually helps." He reached for a blue ink stick, taking out another ink stone he used for painting and began to grind it.

Viper looked serenely at the image of a peaceful waterfall, gently trickling down a gradual slope of a verdant mountain spring. "It's lovely. You always paint such beautiful pictures, Crane."

This time he did blush, "You think so?"

She nodded, "Definitely. I wish I could do something artsy like that."

He laughed, "Nothing 'artsy' about it. Anyone can do it, with enough practice."

"Like I have the patience for that?" she joked.

"You have the patience for kung fu…"

She whispered, "No, just patience for Master Shifu."

This was overheard by the others, who all chuckled, then sighed collectively, just resting.

"Speaking of, where is he?" Po asked.

"Hall of Warriors," Monkey said. "He swears its cooler, but I don't think so. We have a better chance of a breeze here."

"Maybe he likes dipping into the moon pool," Mantis said.

Viper flicked her tongue at him, "No, he's too proper for that," she said. "He wouldn't do something like that."

"I dunno," Po said. "He apparently did some pretty wild things when he was younger."

"Like what?"

"You're kidding right? He's not going to tell me stuff like that!"

"He's had a hangover before," Tigress smiled, "That's all I know."

"I wonder what his version of 'wild' is," Crane wondered. "He's usually so calm…"

They all looked at him incredulously; he looked back, then everyone burst out into laughter.

"Yeah right!" Mantis laughed, "With the way his eye twitches?"

"For someone who meditates all the time, he's so stressed out!" Po joked.

"Maybe due to his height—shorter creatures have shorter fuses," Monkey snickered.

"There's flaw in your theory," Crane said. "No one's fuse is shorter than Tigress's."

That got an even louder laugh, even from the feline. "Okay, fine, I'll admit it!" Hearing that from her was proof of how much had changed in one year: last year, any joke about her would have earned the perpetrator a black eye, broken bone, or even a few missing internal organs. Now, with the addition of Po—and a blossoming love life with a certain spicy chef—Tigress was happier than any of them had ever seen her.

"So when're you going on that date with the spicy chef?" Mantis quipped.

Tigress opened one eye to mock-glare at him, "Friday, he's picking me up at dusk."

"He's picking you up?" Viper sounded ecstatic. "Wow, this is getting serious!"

"It's only the second date," Crane reminded her. "It's hardly serious…yet."

Tigress smiled at her avian friend. "You really think I have a chance?"

Crane responded truthfully, "After everything we've been through, and after everything that's gone down, you deserve to be happy. And if this guy makes you happy, then we're happy for you."

Mantis broke up the moment by saying, "And if he ever hurts you, we'll break his legs."

Viper smacked the insect with the tip of her tail. "OW!" he yelled. "That really hurt!"

"Then stop ruining moments like this!"

"Viper, take it easy on him," Crane said, beginning to add color to his painting. "It's too hot to pick a fight."

"But he's being _annoying_."

"So kick his tail when its cooler. You two haven't sparred in a while."

"That's because he doesn't fight me like you do," she said sweetly. "He doesn't fight fair, you do."

He almost dropped his brush. He was now hiding reddened cheeks with his wide brim hat, and wisely said nothing. She mistook his silence for concentration and slithered over to enjoy Tigress's company.

"So have you thought of what to wear?" Viper asked her feline companion.

Tigress sighed, murmuring as a result of the heat, "I don't know, just what I usually wear, I guess."

"The clothes you train in? Don't you have anything, you know, girly?"

"Viper, you are _not_ getting me to dress up."

"At least a nicer shirt and pants!"

"Next you'll want me to try make up…"

"That's a _great_ idea!" she squealed. "I can teach you to put on makeup, and we can go shopping for a dress…"

"NO," the feline said firmly, sending her a glare. "_No dresses._ I will not wear them, ever. I haven't worn them since my mother used to dress me!"

"But if we find one nice enough, it'll make Dalang really like you!"

"He likes me already, just the way I am," she stated. "I'm not going to change for him. Any man who doesn't like you for who you are is just not worth it."

"Good for you, Tigress," Monkey said encouragingly. "That's the right thinking."

Viper whispered in the tiger's ear, "But just imagine him seeing you, all decked out and looking _gorgeous_ in this dress that makes his jaw drop, and you are the only one he can look at all night long…"

"Viper, no dresses," she said flatly.

"Come _on_, just one?"

"No! I hate dresses. They're uncomfortable, impractical, and seek to objectify women as objects of lust and as inanimate objects for men to obsess and drool over. It demeans them by restricting their movement, and projecting them as weak and helpless beings that need a stronger member of the opposite sex to make a show of exerting their dominion over them."

The others were silent for a while until Po said, "Actually, I think you'd look nice in a dress. I mean—and I'm saying this as a friend—you're very attractive already. Sure, you don't _need_ a dress…but it never hurts to have just _one_, you know, for special occasions?"

"I have my New Year festival clothes," she said. "That should be good enough."

"Won't do a thing in this heat though…"

"I'm not wearing a dress," she growled, crossing her arms, "and that's final!"

* * *

An hour later, Tigress, Viper and Po were down in the village, standing outside of a dressmaker's shop. Tigress had a sour look on her face while the serpent and panda were looking at her expectantly. She just glared at them, "Not. A. Word."

"We didn't say anything," Po defended, though the smirk tugging at his lips was unmistakable.

Viper opened the door and cheerily greeted the lapin proprietor of the establishment. The white rabbit woman stepped from behind the counter, a measuring tape draped over her shoulders, a pin cushion strapped to her wrist, and rectangular spectacles in front of her eyes.

"Good afternoon! I'm honored you braved the heat to come to my store!"

Viper grinned, "We're here on very important business."

"It's pretty crucial," Po said. "Very important."

"Oh my, crucial and important? What is the matter?"

Viper and Po pointed at Tigress, who suddenly felt claustrophobic, and felt trapped. "She needs a dress," the chorused.

The rabbit looked the feline up and down, then drew out her measuring tape, wrapping it around her waist. "Well! A natural 27! It's been a long time since I've had a customer with that. Let's see…I wager you to be about…five-six?"

"Yes, that's correct," Tigress answered.

"Good, good…" the rabbit got the hip and bust measurements, then measured the length of her arms. "I made Festival clothes for you for New Year's, didn't I?"

"You did," Viper answered. "We had to get the measurements for you, she wouldn't come in."

"I see, and yet she's here for a dress?"

"She's got this guy…" Po started. The rabbit stopped, and stared up at Tigress.

"You're attracting a man? A tiger, like yourself?"

"He's already _been_ attracted," the feline said. "_They_ seem to believe I need a dress in order to entice him."

"Wait here," she said before disappearing behind a curtained doorway into the back of the shop. The three warriors waited patiently until the rabbit called Tigress over. "Come try this one on, I want to see if this fits!"

Tigress sighed, resigned to her fate and plodded over to the fitting room. Viper and Po waited, then after a few minutes, the rabbit came out of the fitting room, beaming.

"May I present, the lovely Miss Tigress!"

What the two warriors saw made their jaws drop. The dressmaker had found a short-sleeved burgundy silk cheong-sam, hemmed in gold-flecked fabric, with two slits running up the sides, stopping just short of mid-thigh. The close-fitting garment displayed aspects of the feline's body that had never seen the light of day: gently curved hips, slender waist and even an actual bust line.

Tigress didn't like the way they were looking at her. "Okay, it's hideous, isn't it? I look terrible in dresses, I told you this was a bad—" that was when she caught her reflection in a mirror off to the side.

It was beautiful. _She_ was beautiful. She stared in awe at herself, raising her hand to touch the glass, as if reaching out to the mystery tigress on the other side of the looking glass. The burgundy was a nice offset of her umber fur, the gold hems catching flecks of golden yellow in her eyes. Embroidered in the fabric were peonies the color of a kitten's nose, loose petals scattered throughout as if the blossoms were being whisked away on the wind.

"It's beautiful," she said breathlessly.

"No dear," the rabbit said. "_You_ make it look beautiful. I never thought I'd ever find someone who would fit in it, and look! It fits you like a glove!"

_I'll say,_ Tigress thought as she slowly turned around, catching herself at all angles. Wow, she had to admit, she looked good. She looked over her shoulder at the back. _Wow, I look _damn_ good_, she smirked.

"Tigress, you look _amazing!_" Viper said excitedly.

"I almost didn't think it was you!" Po exclaimed. "Wow! If you weren't already spoken for, I'd take you out in a heartbeat!"

The women turned to stare at him. He stuttered, "As a friend of course."

"Of course."

The rabbit smiled expectantly. "So?"

Tigress didn't look so sure. "I don't have enough money for this…"

"Sweetheart," the rabbit said, arms akimbo. "That thing has been seventy-five percent off for the past year. As far as I'm concerned, you can take it for a single yuan!"

Tigress looked at Viper and Po, trying not to look too enthusiastic. "Well, it _does_ look nice…and its good quality…"

The panda and serpent were giving her an expectant look. Tigress looked at the dressmaker, smiled, and reached for her coin purse. "Sold!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Tai Lung was nursing some burns on his arms from the hot water. He sat on the floor in Su Lin's room, wincing as she smeared a cooling cream over the burns—ironically, it burned like hell.

"Yow!" he winced. "What the hell is _in_ that?"

"It's supposed to help," she said. "My mother came up with it; she was a gifted healer. No one else in Chengdu was as good as her. She knew everything: the right thing to take for migraines, the proper cure for a cold, even how to prevent pregnancies…um," she blushed, "That last one was her best seller."

"I'll bet."

She giggled.

"You learned a lot from her, didn't you?"

Su Lin sighed, scratching her neck uncomfortably. "I still have a lot to learn. I brought her journals and books with me. I read and study when I can. I want to be a healer, just like her; I don't know, I just really like helping people, you know?"

He smiled at her, nudging her playfully. "You? Wanting to help people? Say it isn't so!"

She grinned, "Oh dear, I don't think I could ever match your sarcasm."

"Shifu used to hate my smart mouth," he recalled. "He said it would get me into trouble one day." He sighed. "He was wrong—it was my temper."

"No, I don't think so," she said. "You were denied the one thing you'd searched for your whole life. Granted, that probably wasn't the _best _way to handle rejection, but I can sympathize with you."

"You could sympathize with anyone, I wager."

"No, actually," she sighed, the conversation quickly turning serious. "I can't understand how someone can raise their hand to hurt another who never did anything to them. I can't understand how someone can feel _good_ about hurting someone else. I don't know why people do bad things that they _know_ are bad, yet do them anyway. I just can't understand…"

"Your heart is too good," he said, squeezing her hand. "That's why."

"That can't be the only thing; it can't be that simple."

"Things are never simple—if life was simple, then why would it be so hard?"

The female panda smiled at him, "You've been reading that Confucius book I gave you, haven't you?"

He looked guilty, "Maybe."

She slowly began to bandage his arm. "Why do _you_ think people do bad things?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'a bad thing'," he said.

"Well…why do people murder? Why do they steal? What drives a person to rape? Why do people torture other people?"

The last two questions hit him hard and his mind immediately went into lock-down. _Block it out…block it out…stop thinking…just stop…_

"Tai Lung?"

She was staring at him worriedly. She was waiting for him to answer her.

"Power," he said finally, yet quickly. "It's all about power."

_Block it out. Block it out. Think about something else._

"Power?"

"Yes."

"Why do they want power? Don't they know power corrupts?"

"They don't care," he said coldly. "They don't give a damn. They just feel this own self-important bravado that they can do whatever they want. When really, they're weak, and they know it. They do those things to 'prove' their superiority over those they think are weaker than they are. But they're the weakest by far. People only think they're strong because they…" he paused, then realized what he was about to admit to. He didn't want to, but it felt good to finally say it.

"They're afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Yes. They're afraid of him—them," he corrected himself. "Of what they're capable of, and what they'll actually do."

Her hand gripped his tightly, and he returned the grip even tighter, knuckles turning white with the strain. "But those who have that power, or want that power…they're really just big bullies, aren't they?"

"How do you figure that?" he asked quietly.

"Mama said all bullies are really cowards at heart. If you stand up to them, they'll give up."

"And if you're afraid to stand up to them?"

"That's the point, Tai Lung," she said, cupping his cheek tenderly. "The point is to do the right thing, even if you're scared. Mama said to always stand up for what you believe in, even if you're standing alone."

"Your mama was very wise," he said with a small smile. "Is she in Sichuan?"

"Huh?"

"Wu said that's where she met you, is your family still there, in Chengdu, you said? You've never said anything about them; I don't know if you have brothers, or…what's wrong?"

She had looked away, taking her hands away from him to clasp tightly in her lap. Her usual sunny self had all but disappeared, and he saw an emotion cross her face he'd never seen before. Immediately, he knew what was wrong.

"Su Lin," he paused, looking for the right thing to say. "Su…I'm so sorry…"

That was when she let out a sob, burying her face in her hands. Her whole body shook with her sobs, and he immediately, instinctively, put his arms around her, letting her cry on his shoulder. For a giant panda, and a healthily plump one at that, her quaking body seemed at once to be small, fragile and vulnerable.

"What happened?" he asked.

She sniffed, "Th-they were killed."

He thought about asking what killed them, but how heartless would that have been? He said the only thing that sounded right.

"I'm sorry."

"They…they were murdered," she whispered, as if divulging a dirty secret.

Oh…oh _hell._

No wonder she was such a wreck.

"Who did it? How long ago?"

She sniffed, her tears soaking his chest. She stammered between sobs, "Th-the Jiao clan…eight years ago. Th-they came into Chengdu, demanded blood money, so we could be spared. M-Mama was an important person in the city council. Everyone else wanted to pay them—she said no. They found out where we lived and…and…"

He held her as tightly as he dared, and she finally confessed.

"I wasn't there…Mama sent me to get herbs. Everyone else was locked inside, and…and they set fire to the house."

His heart was beating so hard, he could hear the blood rushing in his ears, feeling it pulsing through his body. Simultaneously sick to his stomach, he tried to envision this happening to her, and it seemed like a sick joke. Who would do that to an innocent family, especially hers?

She was crying again, this time her sobs attracting attention. Mei Xing stopped by their room, poking her head in. "What's wrong?" she mouthed.

"Get Wu," he mouthed back. The female leopard nodded and rushed to get the matriarch. Su Lin continued to cry, but the shaking had dissipated a little bit.

"Su?" he asked. "Is that why you asked me about why people do bad things?"

She sniffed and nodded, "Uh-huh…"

"Su…I'm sorry this happened. You don't deserve it."

"Th-that's what Auntie said. She adopted me after it happened…I was still a teenager, only thirteen. Mama should've been there for me, I wanted her to see me grow up, I wanted her to _be_ there…"

"She is," he said, and left it at that. Even if he didn't believe in all that crock about heaven, hell, and an afterlife, Su Lin did, and if he said it right, maybe it would help her. Luckily, his gamble paid off, and this brought her comfort. "You think she's with me right now?"

"I'm sure she is. I'm sure she's…" he paused, fighting back the emotions that suddenly surfaced. "I'm sure she's as proud of you as I am."

Su Lin hugged him tightly, the flow of tears trickling down. "I didn't mean to dump this on you…"

"It's fine," he said. "I don't mind." And he didn't, not one bit. At that point, his own hellish experiences were no match for hers. He'd never known his parents—she had watched hers die. She had grown up in a loving household; he'd had a harsh task master of a father figure. She had lost more than he ever had.

But maybe that was being too harsh on him. Shifu had adopted him, raised him as a son, and had loved him, even if he had funny ways of showing it. He had still trained him; but now Tai Lung was wondering, trying to pinpoint exactly when everything went straight to hell in a hand basket.

Blaming Oogway was easy, but hadn't he just said so himself, that life was never easy? The old master had seen darkness in him…so when had that darkness manifested?

He looked over his shoulder as the bedroom door opened. Aunt Wu stood there, watching them. She exchanged a look with him, saw that everything was under control, and nodded.

_Good job,_ she seemed to be saying. With one last sorrowful look at her daughter, Wu stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her, leaving the panda to find comfort in his arms.

* * *

Miles away, across the Thread of Hope, two scouts had been discovered. The two imperial guards, both rhinoceri, were tossed onto the ground, bound and blindfolded, their captors' feet on the backs of their necks. The gravel in the road dug into their throats uncomfortably, and it was getting increasingly harder to breathe.

The sound of heavy footfalls on crunching gravel alerted them to someone coming closer. One of the guards was yanked up, his blindfold ripped off. He gasped.

The tiger standing before him was bigger than any he had ever seen. The cat's fur was so light, he almost looked completely white, but for dark brown stripes following the contours of his body. The tiger was dressed in dark-colored thick woolen robes, and a fur-lined red cape covered his shoulders. The scout wagered the cat's age to be no more than sixty, but the penetrating glare, thick build and overall clearness of his features was misleading. There were few wrinkles on the otherwise weather-beaten face, and the scowl so deeply etched into his features only made the malicious smile in his green-gold eyes that much more terrifying.

The tiger grabbed the scout by the lapels, drawling in a heavily northern-accented, gravelly voice, "Congratulations, gentlemen. You've discovered us. You win a prize."

The scout swallowed hard on the large lump in his throat, his mouth gone dry from pure, unadulterated fear.

"J-Jiao Shen…" he stuttered.

A thin smile ghosted the tiger's lips. "It would seem my reputation precedes me. No matter, so long as no one knows I am coming." He wrapped a large hand around the rhino's thick neck and drew him close, whispering through clenched teeth, "Who else knows?"

The rhino shook, swallowing again. Jiao Shen was known for not being one to yell—if he yelled, he was in a decent mood. When he whispered…that's how you knew you were in deep trouble.

"J-just us."

"Just you two? They did not bother to send more than two scouts to guard the entrance to the Valley of Peace? Oh, I see…" he drawled. "Ever since Tai Lung came through here and was defeated, no one thought that the valley would ever be threatened again, is that it?"

The other rhino brayed boldly, "The Dragon Warrior will stop you!"

Jiao Shen glared down at the ungulate's comrade. "Stop me? He invited me. By showing his strength, and displaying his expertise, he has issued a challenge so great I have no choice but to accept. Whatever befalls the Valley of Peace, and the Jade Palace will be on his head," he said darkly.

He unceremoniously dropped the guard he had in hand and pulled out a pair of gloves. Behind him, the one scout lacking a blindfold saw four equally large male tigers. Three of them—savage and fearsome-looking as their leader—were snickering at the poor creature's predicament. The fourth, easily the tallest and oldest of the younger tigers, was staring disapprovingly. He was the first to speak.

"Father," he stated, and the scout felt his blood run cold. _Please be the merciful of Shen's sons…please be the merciful one!_

Shen sighed, rolling his eyes. He snapped impatiently, "_Yes_, Shang?"

The scout smiled in spite of himself. If Jiao Shang had spoken up, then they wouldn't die! Jiao Shen's reputation, after all, wasn't the only one that preceded him.

Shang, a bit darker in fur than his father, and appearing no older than forty, stepped forward, crossing his arms over his slight chest. "We'll gain nothing by playing with them like this. Just let them go, they mean nothing to us."

"I'm glad you agree," Shen said, snapping his fingers. The scout watched in horror as one of Shen's younger sons drew an arrow from the quiver at his side, strung up his longbow, and let fly at his companion. The other rhino fell over, the arrow lodged in his throat.

The remaining scout trembled with fear.

Shang lost his temper, railing on his brother, "FENG! What is wrong with you?"

The second-youngest just shrugged, "It's what Father wanted."

Shang snarled, "I ordered them to live!"

Feng fixed him with a dark glare, his lips curling into a smirk, "Eldest son or not, Father's word always overrules yours."

Shang seethed, his golden-green eyes flashing like hellfire. His other brothers stood by uneasily; now there was no telling which way their father's mood would swing.

Shen crossed his muscular arms, "So, you want this one to live, do you? You want him to live so that he may warn the Valley of Peace of our imminent approach?"

"Precisely," Shang turned to him. "The invasion is _imminent_. We're going to do this come hell or high water, and there's nothing any of them can do about it."

"Aren't you concerned with revenge?" Shen asked him, gauging his reaction.

"Revenge?" Shang asked curiously. "Why? This guard hasn't done anything to us."

"Has he not?" He snapped his fingers again, with the order, "Bring them."

Two of Shen's soldiers—a pair of large Siberian wolves—carried two large, heavy canvas bags, stained with blood. They set the bags down, and opened them for the family to see.

Shang recoiled in shock and horror. "Chang…Ang..."

The rhino saw the pale striped faces of the two tigers he and his companion had discovered trying to sneak past them. The cats had put up a fight, but they easily succumbed to the raw strength of the sentries. Now the lone guard recognized them as Jiao Shen's two youngest sons.

Shen stared down impassively at his dead twin sons, who had been sent ahead to scout the area. "Pity, they would have been great warriors, and glory would have been theirs in this conquest."

Shang replied quietly, "Now they can find glory in Heaven."

Shen snarled. "Never speak of that place again. Our family has never believed in that superstitious nonsense."

"Then what?" Shang proposed coolly. "They die, and that's it? They lacked a soul, so their bodies and their lives mean nothing, is that your rationale?"

"Souls are for the weak," Shen said coldly, glaring at his eldest. "Are you weak?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation; this elicited a collective gasp from his brothers, his father's generals, and the lone guard. "Yes, I _am_ weak," he said. "You said so yourself: of your surviving sons, I am the most like your late wife, my mother."

Shen said nothing. Neither did the generals, or the three other sons; this silence meant that Shang had won the argument. Of the original seven children, Shang was the only one to claim that title, after his youngest brother had been killed.

The patriarch snarled savagely and swiped at his eldest and Shang responded with a quick roundhouse kick to the old tiger's head. Adopting a defensive stance, Shang waited for his father to strike again. The patriarch didn't.

He straightened, and put on his gloves; this was the signal that he washed his hands of the issue. "Fine," he said tersely. "Do with the stupid fool as you please."

Shang stared at the rhino, who cowered despite knowing Shang was the _nicest_ of all the others. The tiger took out a curved knife and with one swipe, severed the binds on the guard.

"You will build a funeral pyre for my brothers," he ordered. "I will decide what is to be done with you when you are done. You have an hour."

As the guard quickly got to work collecting firewood and kindling, the youngest surviving brother, a slight and lanky darker-furred cat named Huang, who sported a patch over his left eye, stepped over to his brother, "So what are you intending?"

The other two brothers, Feng and Xiang, stood off to the side, watching the rhino work. Feng was now the second-youngest, and he, like Shang, was slighter in build than their father, but that wasn't saying much. He was still imposing, but Feng was a known sharpshooter, reputed to shoot the wings off a dragonfly at 100 yards. He dressed in blue—why, he never said, aside from a curt "I like the color"—this was normally a foolish thing to do, offering no camouflage. Feng never needed it.

Xiang was now the second-oldest, and currently the shortest. Despite this, he was well built even for a tiger. He was obsessed with strength, and was perhaps a little unhinged from the opiates he took. The opiates came with stimulants; he self-medicated himself for battle, stimulants to drive up his inertia and stamina, and opium to help him sleep. This drug-mixing after the past fifteen of his thirty-seven years had addled his brain so much that he had become unpredictable, savage, and so animalistic that even Shen secretly feared him.

Huang, like Shang, did not fear him at all.

Huang was dressed in darker browns and black, a single white silk scarf tied around his neck. He had stolen this from a court official who had been ordered to commit suicide. The coward had chosen one of Huang's many poisons instead of hanging himself—Huang kept the silk as a prize. He wore three belts; one around his waist, and two worn like sashes, crisscrossing his chest. He had to be no older than thirty, but the patch and goatee on his chin made him look older.

Shang sighed, watching his father out of the corner of his eye. He paused, making sure no one would overhear, then finally whispered, "Give him your strongest brew. I want it to be as painless as possible."

Huang snickered, his white teeth gleaming in the low light. "Always merciful, you are."

"Yes," he agreed darkly, watching the buffalo work. "Always merciful. And Huang?"

"Yes?"

"When you're done…destroy the evidence."

Huang smiled cruelly; his brother's face remained impassive. Huang snickered, "Yes, brother, my brother…always so merciful…"

* * *

And there we are, stepping up the action. Horrible place to leave off, I know, but that's the first rule of writing: Always leave them wanting more.


	13. Training Day

Disclaimer: Don't own Kung Fu Panda, but I own the OCs.

* * *

Note: _Otakon was AMAZING! God, I love Cons, and this one was incredible. I met the creator of VG Cats, and Peter S. Beagle, the very man who inspired me to be a writer! I was such a fangirl all weekend, its ridiculous. But, now we're back to the weekend updates._

_There were some who requested I draw a picture of Tigress in the dress I described in the last chapter, and I will do just that. My DevArt needs more than my knitting projects and cosplay anyway. Also coming soon: pictures of the OCs, so you all can see what they look like! I'll let you know when they're up. Now, onto the fic!_

* * *

Chapter 12: Training Day

* * *

Po waited until he was sure everyone else was asleep before hoisting himself out of bed. Tonight was the night! He made his bed quickly, not bothering to check how neat it was; Master Shifu usually didn't much care anymore, and while the Five still made their beds with razor-sharp military corners, Po made his bed the same way he always had—controlled chaos.

The panda took a peek outside his door, looking left and right to make sure no one was stirring. The gentle snores from his right told him Crane, Monkey and Mantis were well asleep. However, he frowned as he looked across the hall, Tigress was a notoriously light sleeper.

Aha! he thought. "I'm just going for a midnight snack." The perfect excuse.

He slipped out and closed the door with a gentle click, then began to tip toe down the hall. Po flinched as the first board creaked, and loudly. He paused, waiting to see any signs of stirring. Nothing.

He took another step, same result. This wasn't going to be easy.

He jumped when Tigress's door opened. She was glaring at him.

"I'm…keeping you up?"

"Yes, yes you are."

"Am I also keeping you from sweet dreams about your tiger?"

"Po, go get your midnight snack…meal…thing, before I smack you."

"Yes'm!"

He was free!

* * *

The object of Tigress's dreams was up late that night, sitting up in his room working on a list. Mei Xing had completed their inventory of their pantries and cellar, and he needed to make a shopping list to hand over to the merchants in town. He regretted having to close the restaurant in order to do this, but it was unavoidable; as the only chef, the responsibility for all the food fell upon him, and him alone.

He knew that Su Lin, outstanding cook that she was, was not prepared to handle all the orders on her own. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was the speed which he made meals and dished them out.

He sighed; now if only Tai Lung could cook, then most of the pressure would be off him. Hiring another chef in the village right now was simply not an option. Not until they accepted the leopard, if they accepted him at all.

_It'll take a miracle_, he sighed dejectedly. _It'll take a _big_ miracle_.

He cracked his neck and his knuckles, setting aside his long list of supplies. He pulled out another piece of paper, dipped his brush in the ink and thought for a moment.

What would she like?

He'd received the message from Su Lin that Master Shifu had agreed to allowing the date, and even set the day and time. The tiger had been planning the picnic dinner since his first interaction with Tigress, but now he was stumped.

_Okay, she likes tofu and steamed vegetables, nothing fried, nothing artery-clogging…_but how could he make it interesting? He usually hated working with tofu. For her, though, he'd make the exception.

Tofu and snow peas. Okay, that was a start. He wrote it down. Definitely need to make those rice ball desserts, which he still needed to find a name for. Nothing he tried worked, or, at least, sounded appropriate. Oh well, maybe she would help him brainstorm.

What else? Tea…something wrapped in tea leaves, or soaked in them. No, no that wouldn't work. She liked spicy food…curry? No, he'd never had any luck with that. Ginger was nice, and he'd worked with chili peppers on occasion, but not often enough. Then it hit him: Szechuan vegetables! Bamboo shoots, broccoli and kale, sliced carrots all in a spicy chili sauce of his own making. Oh yeah, it was all coming together.

As he worked, his stomach started to growl at him. You're not feeding me enough, it was saying. He groaned, knowing how late it was. If he ate now, he wouldn't get any sleep. But, on the other side of the coin, he wouldn't be able to sleep with an empty stomach either. He worked so hard, getting three decent meals a day was difficult. He sighed.

Well, the restaurant would be closed tomorrow anyway…technically he could sleep in. _Oh, what the hell,_ he decided, getting up and taking his candle with him.

When he got into the kitchen, he found someone already at the stove, and it wasn't someone he expected.

"Tai Lung?" he asked, hesitating. The leopard looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"What're you doing up?" the tiger asked.

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Ditto. What're you making?"

The leopard shrugged. "I have no idea, I just started throwing things in. Cup of rice, some spices, black beans…"

"A bit heavy for a midnight snack, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but I'm hungry."

Dalang snickered, putting down the candle. "Fair enough. It smells good though; what spices did you use?"

Tai Lung looked up at the spice rack closest to him and picked out the jars he used. "Some sea salt, a little ginger, and…saffron?"

The tiger nodded, "Good choices. How much ginger?"

"Just a small root, for an extra bite."

Dalang smiled, nudging him with an elbow, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were actually picking things up."

"All I have to do is watch you," he shrugged, stirring in some kale. "I watch how much you use, how long to cook…some of those techniques are beyond me."

"They're not hard. Anyone can cook—not everyone _should_, but anyone can cook. That's what I've been hoping to teach you."

"Kung fu is all I understand."

The tiger smirked, "Dancing not as easy as you thought?"

Tai Lung groaned, gripping the counter. "How she makes it look effortless, I'll never know."

"It's my understanding _you_ make kung fu look effortless—the same applies to any master of any art," he said, sitting on a stool next to the stove. "Whether it be painting, dancing, or cooking."

"Cooking isn't an art—it's a necessity."

"That's one way of looking at it. You going to put in anything else?"

"No, its fine the way it is."

"Is there enough for two?" he asked, picking out some bowls.

"There's enough for four."

"Ah, were you expecting company?"

"In a way." He looked up as Su Lin came down the stairs. He felt his heart twinge, but saw she was looking better. "Hungry?"

She nodded silently, gratefully accepting a bowl from Dalang. "Thanks."

"Everything okay?" the tiger asked.

"Yeah, I'm better now. What are you two doing up?"

"Cooking," Tai Lung said, serving up four bowls. He heard Mei Xing's footfalls on the stairs, then reached for another bowl, serving some up for her.

She saw him pull the bowl out, "I'm not hungry."

"You're too skinny to not be hungry."

"Screw you," she snapped. She spotted Dalang. "You're eating his food? First you're up late—which never happens—and now you're eating food prepared by an ex-convict? Are you feeling alright?"

"Hey, I was planning a very important meal, I got hungry, and I'm eating something I didn't have to cook. I'm not complaining," Dalang said, digging into the saffron rice dish. "Wow, this is really _good._ I mean, for something just thrown together…"

"It's _food_," Tai Lung said, leaning against the counter and eating. "It's just supposed to be edible."

Su tried it and smiled. "No, Dalang's right, this is great! You're picking this up really quickly, aren't you?"

"You could say that. How's it going?" he asked someone behind the tiger. Dalang turned around, nodded in greeting, "Hey, what's up?" turned back around, froze, then whirled, face paling.

Po stood in the doorway to the garden, waving back.

"Hey there," the Dragon Warrior smiled.

* * *

Dalang dropped the bowl he was holding, and Po deftly caught it and put it back on the table. "Careful," the panda said. "I don't think you'd want to lose that."

The tiger still stared at him, jaw dropped. Mei Xing and Su Lin just stared, and the only one in that kitchen not panicking was Tai Lung, who continued to casually shovel rice and beans into his mouth. Dalang was the first to react, pointing at the leopard,

"What the _hell_ is he doing here?!"

"I invited him," he answered, studying a sliver of carrot before popping it in his mouth.

"You WHAT?!" Mei Xing shrieked. "Are you _insane?!_ He'll reveal us!"

"He's the Dragon Warrior, he wouldn't sink so low," Tai Lung said.

"How do you know?" she accused.

His eyes locked with hers, "Because he's not me."

She said nothing in return.

Po decided to cut the tension in the room by waving. "So…uh, hi, nice to meet you, Dalang, right?"

Dalang and Mei Xing said nothing; naturally, Su Lin grinned and warmly welcomed him. "Wow, the Dragon Warrior…what an honor! Tai Lung, you didn't tell us you knew him."

"Somewhat," he added. "We've met."

Po snickered at the sarcasm. "Yeah, we're on better terms now. Actually, we've talked a few times."

"And you haven't revealed us?" Mei Xing asked him. Po shook his head, "He told me not to."

Now all eyes were on the snow leopard, who squirmed a little under the scrutiny. "What?" he asked.

"You…" Mei paused, then asked softly. "You're protecting us?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why that's so surprising. You're risking a lot to have me here, and I've been 'mooching' off you. I needed to pay you back somehow."

"And how do you figure you're paying us back?" Dalang asked.

Tai Lung pointed at Su Lin and Mei Xing, "By training them in kung fu."

Both girls looked at him like he had grown five tails. "You're serious?"

"Why? Shouldn't I be?"

"What will Auntie say?" Su Lin wondered.

"I don't care what the old crone says," Tai Lung lied. "I have no ties to the Dragon Warrior, except by asking this favor of him."

"And don't worry," Po assured, "I got it all figured out. We'll start ya with some tai chi, do a lot of stretching and sparring…"

"How can we spar if we don't even know how to throw a punch?" Mei asked, arms crossed over her chest.

"That's what Tai Lung will teach you," Po said. Mei looked at the other leopard skeptically. "You've got to be kidding."

"Listen _sweetheart_," he mocked, "It's either this, or you continue to live in fear that one day you'll be discovered and that there will be no one to protect you. Is that what you want?"

"I don't need anyone to protect me," she shot back. "I've been doing well enough by myself."

"Right, and that's why you're hiding in this village under the roof of a kung fu master—right, sounds like you're pretty self-sufficient."

"Why you…"

Po put a hand between them, "Hey, hey, easy guys…Hate to break this up, but we kinda need to focus…"

Dalang stared at them, then pinched the bridge of his nose to fight off a sudden migraine, "Okay, let's say for a minute that we agree to this: do you have a place in mind?"

"Yup—right on the outskirts. It's this big clearing, in this bamboo forest, perfect cover, and lots of space. Used to be a farm..."

Something clicked for Tai Lung. "Are there a lot of old fruit trees there?"

"Yeah, actually. Apples, pears, a couple cherry trees…"

He nodded. "It was an orchard when I was younger. It must have been overgrown."

"Will it work?"

"Possibly. I'll need to scope it out."

"But you can't leave," Su Lin said. "Aunt won't let you."

"Actually, she will. As long as I come back and don't screw anything up while I'm out, she doesn't care."

"I don't like this," Dalang said. "There's too much risk, too much at stake."

"Hey, look at it this way," Po said, trying to placate the tiger. "It gets _him_ out of your fur for a while, and it's a chance to show he's changed."

"I don't see how, if he's doing this in secret."

"No, _we_ are doing this in secret. Once he's back in shape and ready to kick major tail, we'll just need a chance for him to prove himself!" Po said optimistically.

"Like what?" Tai Lung scoffed, downing the rest of his snack. "Saving a baby from a burning house? Single-handedly defeating an entire army? Face it, there's not a single good deed I can do that will redeem me in the eyes of these people—it's not possible."

"Anything is possible," Po and Su Lin said simultaneously. The two pandas smiled at one another, both far too cheery for so late at night. Tai Lung felt like hurling.

"Ugh, can we please focus here?"

"Moreover," Mei Xing said. "What makes you think that two waitresses can learn kung fu when both of you have been training for…"

"A year," Po said. He pointed at Tai Lung, "He's been at it his whole life. He knows way more than I do."

"You know the Wu Xi finger hold," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but he knows all 1000 forms of kung fu."

"Except Lotus style," Mei Xing smirked. "You should've seen Wu trying to teach him how to—"

"_Thank you_, Mei, we'll just leave it at that," the snow leopard hissed.

Po sent a questioning look to the leopard, who shot a look back that buried those unasked questions six feet under. Po looked at everyone else, then punched his fist into his palm.

"Right… So, who's up for a field trip?"

* * *

"So where is this clearing?"

"This is it."

"Where?"

"We're standing in it."

"No we're not."

"Yes we are."

"Panda, this does _not_ constitute a 'clearing'."

"There aren't any trees!"

"No trees for a twelve-foot diameter is _not_ a clearing!"

Mei Xing cast a skeptical eye over the area and shook her head. They were in the spot Po had discovered, and sure enough, it was as Tai Lung suspected. The land had once belonged to a farming family that had a serious string of ill luck fifteen years prior, ultimately accumulating into the failure of their prize orchards of apple, pear and cherry trees. The area had always had bamboo growing everywhere—it was a weed, and a damn tough one to fight back. Over time, a bamboo forest completely covered what was left of the property, completely abandoned, and—if the whisperings about the village were to be believed—presumably cursed.

"There's barely enough room for us just standing," the she-leopard said. She, Su Lin, Dalang, Po and Tai Lung stood in the 'clearing' which was perhaps, by the male leopard's estimates, no larger than twelve feet across in either direction.

Su Lin tried to brighten the situation. "Well, it shouldn't be so hard to just cut down a few of these stalks, should it? I mean, we're far enough away, if we don't attract attention from taking down some bamboo…then maybe no one will come at all!"

"A good point, but more to it than that," Po said, clearly showing off. "The villagers already avoid this place…we'll never be disturbed." Tai Lung and Dalang shared a dubious look, then both rolled their eyes as the panda began explaining his grand scheme with the girls.

"Okay, so tonight, we begin training!"

"So soon?" Su Lin asked.

"So _late?"_ Mei Xing moaned.

"Yep, and you bet! Now, you ladies don't need to take notes, we're just going to see what you know so far," he crooned. Mei rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, but Su stood tall and alert.

"So, who wants to throw the first punch?"

"Shouldn't we be doing…oh, I don't know, stretching, first?" Mei asked.

"Just a minute, I want to know where you girls stand, okay?" Po turned to Su, holding up his open palm. Pointing, he said encouragingly, "Go ahead, give it your best shot."

Su looked over at Tai Lung, who nodded with a kind smile, _go ahead…_ She bit back on a giggle when he mouthed, "Knock him out" and spelled out K-O with his hand. Turning her attention back to Po she drew back her arm, then punched with all her might. "HYA!"

Po stepped back, smiling, "Great! That was really good—you got power behind that."

She giggled. "Thank you, Master Po."

Po fought a blush, then called Mei Xing over. "Come on, it's your turn."

"I don't think this is a good idea," she said nervously, looking around.

"Don't worry about it," Po said. "No one's out here but us. And we won't make fun of you…"

All eyes suddenly turned to Tai Lung, who looked completely taken aback. "What?"

Mei rolled her eyes and stepped up. "Aren't there levels here that we should be worried about? I mean, I _know_ I'll never be up to your level."

Po smiled knowingly, remember a similar conversation he'd had a year before. "And what level do you think you are?"

"Um…" she looked uncertain. "Level zero?"

Yup, exactly like last year. "There is no level zero."

She sighed dejectedly, pulling back her arm to punch, "I have a feeling I'm going to prove you wrong tonight…"

Tai Lung stepped forward, "Wait." He grasped her arm and gently twisted her wrist to the correct position, raised her elbow and pressed down on her shoulder, instructing her the whole while. "Correct your stance, front foot pointing in the direction the knee is pointing, back foot perpendicular; if he hits you back, this stance keeps you from falling over. When you punch, punch straight out. Tuck your thumb under your other fingers; this protects it from getting broken, and it's a harder impact on the opponent. Now, try."

Mei Xing stared at Tai Lung a moment, then at Po's palm. Taking a deep breath, she punched, and barely made any noticeable effort. Tai Lung groaned,

"What was _that_?"

"That was a punch, moron!" she snapped.

"That wasn't a punch; that was _pathetic_!"

"What did you expect? It was my _first_ punch!"

Po moved forward to break it up, but Su Lin stopped him, "Don't bother. Just let them fight it out."

"This happens a lot?"

She nodded, "If a day goes by where they haven't fought at least once, either one of them is sick…"

"Or Hell has frozen over," Dalang quipped, sitting cross-legged on a boulder next to them. The argument continued between the leopards.

"You didn't punch straight out like I told you."

"I'm not going to get it perfect the first time you know!"

"Well you're not going to knock anyone's block off with weak, skinny little arms like yours!"

It happened so fast that no one in that clearing could believe it. A loud THWACK echoed off the bamboo, and the female leopard's animalistic snarl rang out like thunder overhead. "I AM NOT WEAK!"

Mei Xing's eyes had flashed like lightning across a dark sky, and she struck, punching Tai Lung so hard in the jaw that he actually staggered back a couple paces. He regained his footing, nursing the achy jaw. He felt around his mouth with his tongue. No missing teeth, but one was certainly chipped. Wait, he had a bruise and a chipped tooth…from a punch that _Mei Xing _had given him! He stared at her.

Mei still held her fist out, frozen in the position it was in when it had contacted with his jaw. She looked just as shocked as him.

"Whoa," Dalang said. "Go Mei."

Po just crossed his arms and shared a smile with Su, "Told you there was no level zero."

* * *

"That went better than I thought," Po said later, after Dalang had taken the girls home. "You're pretty good at teaching; you see how quickly Mei learned how to throw a punch? You've gotta be happy about that!"

"Riveted," Tai Lung droned, his jaw still smarting, "Utterly ecstatic."

"You're not regretting this, are you?"

"The only thing I'm regretting is not kicking your tail from here to Outer Mongolia by now."

"Come on, don't be like that. You should be happy! You're well on your way to a brand new life, where you can start off with a clean slate!"

"The only way to clean _my _slate is to shatter it," he said dismally, chopping down some of the bamboo with a flat hand. He slammed his heel into the ground, uprooting more. He picked them off and tossed them into the pile he and Po were making.

"Do you always do that?"

"Do what, feel sorry for myself? No, this is, sadly, a recent development."

"No, I mean…are you always so _rough?_"

Tai Lung looked at him curiously. "Well, yes…I'm a man, men are supposed to be rough."

"Well, have you ever thought about being, I dunno, gentle?"

"HA! Why would I want to do something like that?"

"Change of pace, maybe?"

"Listen, it's not happening," he said. He kicked out, snapping three shoots of bamboo in one strike. He caught them as they practically fell into his arms. "Becoming 'gentle' means I'm going soft; 'Gentle' is a womanly quality. So are beauty, grace, piety and…you get it, none of those 'girly' qualities. I am a man, men don't _do_ 'gentle'."

Po thought about what he said for a moment, then picked up a broken piece of bamboo. "Hey, just a thought but…maybe if you, I dunno, _acted_ a little nicer, maybe we'd reach the girls sooner."

"I'm just doing what Shifu taught me to do."

"He taught you with insults too, huh?"

This made him stop short, and he turned on the panda, "Who asked you?"

"Hey buddy, he called me fat and disgusting when he first met me," Po said, simply pulling up bamboo from the ground like common garden weeds. "Anything he said to you _had_ to be nicer."

"Not by much," he muttered. He slammed his fist into a large rock, reducing it to mere pebbles. He wondered how to use it, then shrugged. He'd figure out something. He began clearing it away, and Po stopped to help him. Tai Lung was still very uncomfortable being around the panda; if he had to hazard a guess, it was probably the past they had with each other. Why he was even accepting the panda's help was a mystery.

_No,_ he told himself, _if you learn something about him, you can find his weakness, then take the title of Dragon Warrior! _Then another, previously foreign, thought came to mind. _Once you have the title, then you can change your life, and live it the way Sonam and Nima wanted you to. _

He stopped, staring out into space. He had a black rock in his hand—shattered slate, he realized—but something came to him. His mind blanked again, and he was only acutely aware he was having another vision.

* * *

_His eyes had just opened for the first time. In his cradle, there was a mirror hanging about his head to ward off evil spirits. His eyes were blue, like all babies when they first open their eyes. He heard someone singing, and it was beautiful. He wanted to be where she was, so he cried._

_I'm lonely! Come get me! Don't leave me here alone!_

_The singing stopped and a face showed up. It was Baba. He smiled and picked up his infant son, carrying him over. Sonam grinned, his smile bright and wide. _

"_Nima, come look! He's opened his eyes!"_

_The scent of jasmine wafted into his nostrils, and he sneezed. A woman chuckled and reached for him, holding him to her breast. He looked up and saw the most beautiful snow leopard he'd ever seen._

_She had his eyes. And her smile was positively electric._

"_Oh Sonam, he's beautiful!" she smiled, her voice soft and tender._

"_He's got your eyes, love."_

_Nima tickled under her son's chin, "And your spirit." She sighed contentedly, and he smiled back at her. She whispered softly, "My little fighter, my little Tenzin. You'll make a great warrior someday…"_

* * *

"Tai Lung? Hey, Tai Lung, wake up!" Po gently shook his shoulder.

The leopard jumped and fell back onto his rump, panting slightly.

His mother. He had just seen his mother. Aunt Wu had been right…she was beautiful. And she had loved him. The look in her eyes—his eyes, the ones he had inherited—was obvious: it was love. She never wanted to leave his side. He was precious to her, her precious little boy, whom she loved so much she sacrificed her health for him.

"Hey," Po said. "You okay?"

"I…" what was he going to say? That he'd started to have visions about his dead parents? That he was likely beginning to crack?

"I'm not feeling well. Headache," he lied. "I've been feeling a bit off all day, actually."

"Then go on back, I can finish up here."

"We need an obstacle course."

"Like I said, I'll work on it."

Tai Lung stood, brushing off his backside then turned to go. He paused to look back at the panda, then said, "There should be blueprints, in the Palace library, where all the scrolls are kept? They're for obstacle courses of previous masters. Shifu's idea of training may just kill the girls."

Po nodded, smiling, "Good idea. You got any recommendations?"

"Let me think about it."

"Sure. Just feel better, okay? I'll stop by tomorrow to see how you're feeling, then we can begin training."

Why was the panda giving a damn about how he was feeling? _You're supposed to be enemies!_ Tai Lung's mind screamed at him. _What the hell are you thinking? Are you even thinking at all?! _

_Of course I am. I just have a plan._

_What exactly is your plan?_

He didn't know how to answer that. "The girls aren't ready for that," he said finally.

"I meant us."

"Oh."

There was an awkward pause, then Po said, "Hey, you're tired, you go ahead and go home."

Home. Wu's was his new home. After all, Shifu had said it himself: "This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master."

Tai Lung had no where else to go, and that depressed him.

"Oh, one more thing, Tai?"

Tai?_ Tai?_ Where was he getting off by being so informal with him?!

"Yes?" he gritted out.

"Tell Dalang to use Taro treats."

"Taro Treats?"

"Yup."

"Right." He jumped off into the forest and ran the whole way back to Wu's. He snuck through his window—he double-checked that he had the right room this time—and stopped at Dalang's room to deliver the message. The tiger instantly brightened, despite being dead tired, and wrote down the suggestion. Tai Lung groaned, rubbing the back of his sore neck and ignoring Dalang's crack at being hit by a girl.

When he crawled into bed, he tried to close his eyes, but instead of welcoming blackness that leads to sleep, he saw her eyes…

His eyes.

He opened his eyes and immediately grabbed his journal.

He needed her picture. He needed to see her, he needed a reminder; he needed to remember her.

He closed his eyes and saw her face again. His fingers gripped the charcoal so tightly it almost snapped in his hand. He dragged it across the page, and her image began to form, forever there as a reminder that somewhere, at some time, he was loved.

* * *

Po made it back to the dormitory just in time, rolling into bed and pretending to sleep. He'd have maybe an hour of precious sleep tonight, but, as much as he was sure to grumble later, it was worth it. He felt the night was very successful. And he didn't mean the girls.

Of course, he was happy to know that he had one who was a quick and eager student (and Su Lin was indeed very cute, and, oh, what a sweetheart!). And Mei Xing clearly surprised them all; she had an icy demeanor that reminded him of Tigress, and the female snow leopard had a ferocity that was very Tigress-like. He had a feeling the two of them would get along great.

But no, the biggest breakthrough, he thought, was getting to know Tai Lung a little more. The leopard probably didn't realize it, but he kept letting little things slip out. The panda wasn't expecting a therapy session with big confessions and ground-breaking breakthroughs, but something had happened tonight.

He knew it when Tai Lung helped Mei Xing with her stance.

The leopard's attention to detail, to the position of the body, and to her center of balance was flawless. Po had a lot to learn from him—that is, if Tai Lung were willing. The leopard was a natural teacher; Po wondered if he knew that.

Sighing, the panda rolled over and thought about what happened right before Tai Lung had left. The leopard had just stopped, staring out into space, at the piece of slate in his hand. And just as suddenly, he made a hasty exit. Po had no idea what it meant, and he had a feeling Tai Lung wouldn't tell him either.

_Maybe when he's ready_, he decided. _He's just not ready yet._

As he drifted off to sleep, he remembered: today was Friday. It was the day of Tigress's date with Dalang.

He smiled.

Good.

* * *

Thanks for being patient guys! Please read and review!


	14. After Tonight

Disclaimer: Don't own it, but I own the OCs.

WOO! Nice long update! So guess what Luna was working on Sunday night? XD In case anyone was interested, I wrote this whole chapter while listening to Justin Nozuka's song "After Tonight" on repeat. The lyrics fit most of this chapter perfectly. Google the lyrics or the song itself, you won't be disappointed. As an artist, he comes highly recommended by yours truly. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13: After Tonight

* * *

Jiao Shen glared at the rickety old bridge. The Thread of Hope was certainly aptly named. One would need to have a lot of hope in order to reach the other side alive. Either they would be a fool to cross it, or extraordinarily brave. Fortunately, Shen was none of the above.

His four surviving sons stood behind him, peering fearfully over the edge into the deep void between them and the certain death cloaked by thick mists. It truly was an incredible sight, looking like the summits and the bridge were floating above the clouds, and that they were the only ones to walk through heaven, but Shang was the only one to think poetry at a time like this.

The eldest looked over his shoulder at the army standing behind him. "Well, no chance of getting in through here."

Shen growled low in his throat. "Do you have any other suggestions?"

Shang shrugged. "Send a scout. Send someone to find a way into the valley who is not stupid enough to get themselves killed. There has to be more than one entrance into the Valley of Peace—we just need to find it."

"Are you volunteering?"

"What, and cross _that_?" he indicated the bridge. "You have to be out of your mind."

Shen said nothing, inwardly seething at his son's blatant insubordination. Shang would get his, oh yes he would. The patriarch snapped, "Huang, Feng!"

Both tigers knelt at their father's feet, "Yes Father, we are at your bidding."

Shang just rolled his eyes.

"Huang, you are to scout ahead. Gather as much information as you can. Everything—the population, the supplies, escape routes, any weaknesses at all. Moreover, Feng…" he turned to the archer. "Scope out the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior; spy on them, learn as much as you can about them. I want to know their weaknesses."

"Yes Father."

"Huang, you will be the first to report back to me. Feng's mission will take longer to accomplish. You both have a week. If you are not back by the time the sun sets seven days from now…you will join your brothers. Are we clear?"

"Yes Father," they chorused.

"Then go."

Feng bounded off, fearlessly taking the bridge. Huang stood back a bit, but at the urging of his father's murderous glare, took off not too soon after. Shang watched them crossing the bridge, and felt no remorse in hoping that would be the last time he'd ever see them alive.

* * *

Tai Lung cast a mock glare at the piles of dirty dishes waiting for him by the sink. Rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, he remarked off-handedly to Dalang, "Thank you so much for giving me more work today…even when this restaurant is _closed_."

Dalang was shrugging on a long-sleeved shirt for the special occasion, licking his palm and running it over his fur to smooth it out. "I needed to make sure this night goes perfectly. I hope I made enough food…"

"You made enough food to feed an orphanage full of starving children for a year."

"What's your point?"

"Let me have the leftovers?"

"_Hell_ no! They're all for her!"

Tai Lung rolled his eyes, boiling some water for the washing. He watched as the tiger fidgeted and fretted over his appearance in a small mirror hanging on the wall.

"You look _fine_. Stop acting like a woman!"

Dalang's reflection glared at him. "If I'm not singing 'I Feel Pretty', I think I'm good."

"'I feel pretty, and witty, and'…" Tai Lung recited.

"Gay?" Dalang snickered. "And here I thought those were only prison rumors."

The look the leopard shot him was positively murderous. But Dalang wasn't done, mimicking, "Hey there, pretty boy. Mmm…you got a purty mouth, kitty.. ain't you a pretty kitty?"

"You are a _dead_ man."

"Ooh, kitty's got claws!" the tiger laughed.

Tai Lung wasn't laughing. Dalang backed away, feeling as if he had stepped over a forbidden boundary into dangerous territory.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, it was just a joke! I didn't mean any harm!"

Tai Lung continued to step forward until Dalang's back was against the wall. The leopard leaned in close and hissed, "If you _ever_ make jokes about that again, hot date or no hot date, I will kill you."

"Okay! I promise not to do it again!"

"Swear it!"

"I swear on my mother's grave!"

Tai Lung stared at him a moment, the pushed himself away, taking the hot water off the stove and pouring it into the large wash basin. He began to wash the many dishes Dalang had sullied in making the meal for his date, and right now, Tai Lung was glad for the distraction.

As Dalang put the finishing touches together on the basket—which he left to come get later, after picking up his date—Tai Lung watched him leave. How funny, that the two of them had something in common: they had both grown up without mothers.

* * *

Tigress fidgeted as Viper helped her get dressed. The serpent was bubbly and excited for her, but Tigress was just plain nervous.

"This was a mistake. I mean, last time we just ran into each other! This is an actual _date_!"

"You'll be fine," Viper said. "Once you see him, you'll forget all about your worries."

"How do you know?"

"Girl, please. I've read enough romance novels to know."

Tigress didn't bother to say anything regarding the authenticity of Viper's romance novels. Her collection of smutty romances was so badly written that Tigress—who had no writing experience to speak of—felt she could do better. Things like that didn't happen in real life.

Once the tiger master was in her new dress, Viper sat her down and got out her makeup. Tigress eyed the paints with a skeptical look. "Are you sure I need all that?"

"No. I'm just going to give you some eyeliner and rouge. Maybe some blush," then she smiled wickedly. "Though my guess is he'll have you blushing enough all night."

"VIPER!"

"SORRY! That was Mantis again!"

"Damn his perverted influence."

"Yes, damn him." Viper mixed a black powder into a thick paint-like substance and instructed Tigress to close her eyes. The serpent groaned. "Goodness gracious, your eyes are so twitchy! Re_lax_!"

"I'm _trying_!"

"He's going to think you look amazing, quit worrying."

"Viper, this is my first serious date, my first serious relationship…of course I'm worrying! I mean, I know there are other men out there, plenty of fish in the sea, but what if he thinks I look like a freak? What if my skills scare him? What if I look so bad in this dress and makeup that he gets turned off?"

"What if the sky caves in and your nose falls off?" Viper asked rhetorically, losing her patience. "Tigress, trust me, from someone who has experience with this sort of thing. All this worrying is for nothing. Besides, if we all see how he acts tonight when he arrives and sees you, we can all tell you whether or not he's serious."

"Are you saying I can't tell?"

"Love can blind anybody, believe me." Viper sighed sadly, "I know that all too well."

Tigress looked at her friend and frowned. "That Indian cobra?"

"Suresh, yeah. And the tree snake…not to mention that Siamese cat, and…well, okay, compared to them, Suresh wasn't that bad…"

"Except for not telling you he had a wife and twenty newly-hatched babies at home."

"Yeah." She shook herself out of it. "But tonight isn't about me. I've been unlucky in love—but this is your chance. Have faith, and believe that everything will be fine, and it will."

Crane knocked at the door, politely announcing, "Dalang's here, whenever you're ready." He smirked as he heard Tigress gasp and freak out.

"Oh gods…OH GODS! I'm not ready…I can't do this!"

Viper slapped her thigh. "Oh stop it! You're fine, now get out there!"

Tigress sighed and opened the door.

Crane froze, staring. "T-Tigress?"

"Yes Crane?"

He just stared; it was really unnerving her.

"Nothing," he said. "You look…nice."

"Um, thanks." She brushed past him, and he called after her, "He's in the courtyard. Master Shifu's talking with him."

_Great, that's going to end well_, she thought. She walked out of the dormitory; when she was out of sight, Crane turned to Viper and asked, completely stunned, "What did you _do _to her?"

Viper smiled slyly, "It wasn't me."

* * *

Tigress felt her heart beating against her ribcage, and wondered if this is what it felt like to have a heart attack. As she climbed down the stairs, holding up the hem of her dress so that she wouldn't trip, she heard snatches of conversation below. As she got closer, she heard Shifu asking a question, then Dalang's handsome, strong voice replying,

"I've thought of that myself. But I'm a bit of a perfectionist—no ordinary cook will do. I hope you can understand my feelings on that. If someone wants to work in my kitchen, they need to be passionate about food."

Shifu nodded sagely, "I'd offer our panda, but he's been keeping himself busy."

"No worries—though I might have to challenge him to a cook off."

"Noodles versus dim sum?"

"Of course."

"You're very passionate about your food," Shifu said sagely. The tiger was decidedly less nervous than when he'd been cornered in his own kitchen. Dalang smiled, but Shifu noticed sorrow behind it.

"Cooking is the only thing that ever brought me peace. I…" he paused, then sighed. "I suppose I should tell you, so that you know something more about me. The people in my family were not very nice. I never knew my mother; my father and other relatives were abusive, I guess because I was the runt. I still have scars. I ran away, met Aunt Wu, and she taught me to cook. I loved it so much I worked odd jobs, saved up enough money to go to culinary school. Sometimes the memories of what my father did to me come back, but cooking helps me forget. Its like meditation I guess; I can focus on it."

Shifu nodded. Though he knew Dalang was holding back on the whole truth, everything else was sincere. He could see the sincerity in the tiger's eyes. The red panda assumed the tiger held back on the whole truth either out of respect for the kung fu master, or so that he wouldn't have to relive the pain. His guess was the latter.

"I apologize for your wait, Tigress should be ready soon," Shifu said, wisely changing the subject.

Dalang just smiled, "No worries. There's no rush tonight…no need to rush _anything at all_," he emphasized. Shifu got his meaning and smiled.

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page."

Tigress finally came into view and called down to them, "I'm here!"

When Dalang looked at her his jaw dropped. Frozen in place, he could only watch as she descended the last couple steps. The cheongsam hugged her svelte body comfortably, draping over the slender curves her kung fu outfits hid. The burgundy and gold complemented her fur and eyes, and the pink peonies on her dress noted at the sensual femininity hiding just under the surface. She appeared to glide down the steps, her eyes seemed to shine brighter, and there was a rosy tint on her cheeks. As she got closer, he realized she was wearing makeup, with a thin line of black paint lining her eyelids, and a little red rouge on her lips. He would have given anything to kiss her at that moment.

Tigress blushed when he began staring, but she couldn't help but stare as well. He looked even more handsome in a long-sleeved cotton shirt of dark blue with black edging and fasteners, and black trousers with a cerulean sash around his waist. She frowned as he tugged at the Mandarin collar of his shirt; did she look terrible? Did she look like a freak? She should have never let Viper do her makeup, this was a disaster!

"Hi," he said breathlessly.

"Hello," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. He was staring, he wouldn't look away, so she did. And she saw Shifu was staring too. It was the same expression she had seen on Crane's face. Three men were staring at her like that.

She looked back at Dalang. "Is…there something…wrong?"

"Wrong?" he asked absently.

"You're staring," she said, squirming uncomfortably.

He caressed her cheek with his hand, "You're beautiful." He paused, then continued, "You are absolutely, undeniably, and unbelievably _gorgeous._"

Tigress blushed and looked down, a smile tugging at her lips. Shifu cleared his throat, "You should thank him for his gracious compliment."

"Yes. Thank you, Dalang. You look…you look very handsome tonight," her tone implying that "very handsome" was a gross understatement. He blushed this time, grinning with embarrassment. "Thank you."

Shifu cleared his throat again, "So…where will you be going tonight?"

"Uh," Dalang snapped himself out of his reverie, "Well, we're going to this flower garden, on the eastern side of the valley? You probably know it; it's famous for its waterfalls."

The master nodded, "Yes, I'm familiar with it. A lovely _public_ place," he emphasized. Dalang nodded.

"Yes. A public place. Public but quiet, and romantic…"

"But public."

"Yes. Yes it is."

Tigress fought the urge to bite her lip. _Please just let us get out of here…_

Thankfully, Shifu ceased his interrogation, waving them off. "Good. Well, enjoy yourselves, have her back by ten."

She sent him a pleading look, "Master…"

"Yes?"

"Could it be midnight instead?"

"Ten thirty."

"Midnight?" she insisted.

"Eleven."

"Midnight."

"Eleven thirty, that's my final offer."

"_Midnight_," she further insisted. Shifu smiled thinly—she'd always been a willful child, and only got what she wanted when she could give him good enough reasons for it.

"Why are you insisting on midnight?"

"It's seven now, Master, it will take about forty-five minutes to get the food and get to the gardens, so we would be eating by eight 'o clock."

"And it will take you three hours to eat?"

"Dalang makes a lot of food—you ate it at the restaurant, you know he is generous with portion sizes."

"So it will take you an hour to climb up the stairs afterwards, assuming you're stuffed full of good food? And you will be home by midnight?"

Dalang interjected. "I'll have her home by Eleven forty-five, sir."

The master looked at his student. "Eleven forty-five."

"Done."

"Good, have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"We won't, Master," she assured him, accepting Dalang's offered arm.

Shifu sent a glare at Dalang, who visibly gulped, "I most certainly hope not."

* * *

Viper and Crane lounged in the bird's room playing Mahjong, the pair very quiet. Viper moved a piece across the board, Crane made a move and stole a piece. He looked over at his opponent and saw her looking out the window wistfully at the rising moon in the lavender-blue twilit sky.

"She's fine," he said. "Tigress can handle herself."

Viper shook her head, sighing, "It's not that…Suresh used to take me out on nights like this one."

Crane felt white hot heat course through his body at mention of the cobra's name. Oh yes, he remembered that damned snake. Crane was the only one around to offer Viper a shoulder to cry on after that betrayal. It was that moment in their friendship that Crane first truly realized that, despite her sunny disposition and feisty nature, she was extremely vulnerable. It was the first time she had let that side show, and ever since then, she hid it behind the mask of intense training.

Not that he blamed her; he did the same thing when it came to her.

"Don't you dare start thinking about him again," Crane said sharply. "He doesn't deserve you, and you don't deserve what he put you through."

"I know, Crane, I know…I just, seeing Tigress and Dalang together, I'm happy for her. I just…I wish it were me, you know?"

Crane looked at her, and nodded, "Yeah, I understand. I guess we never thought how…how lonely this kind of life could be."

She moved a piece and looked up at him, "It seems the only people who understand us are people just like us."

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised Master Shifu let her go out tonight. You know how overprotective he is."

Crane smirked, "I seem to recall him never letting you into the Valley when you were in your girly phase."

She snorted and laughed, "What phase?"

He grinned, chuckling. True, she'd never truly outgrown it. She still loved makeup and more "womanly" pursuits. He was okay with that. She had tried explaining how romance novels worked, even describing some plots to him. He'd poked fun at them and, instead of getting riled up, she laughed with him. She confessed she only read them for laughs. Real life—and real love—was not like in books and ballads.

"You'll find someone," he said finally, moving a piece. "You deserve someone great, someone who will respect you for your beauty, your intelligence and not be scared off by your skills in kung fu."

"Beauty?" she teased. "But tell me what you really think, Crane." She laughed; he didn't respond. She raised her eyes to meet his, and hers widened.

"Oh gods."

He panicked, "Viper, I can explain…"

Flustered, she shook her head, "No, no its okay, it's just…really?" she sent him a look.

He paused, then nodded. "Yes."

"How long have you…?"

"Since Suresh."

She locked gazes with him again, and he spoke first, "I wasn't expecting anything. I've been such a coward. I didn't think I could tell you, and that you'd scorn me, because that cobra broke your heart. I thought if I waited until Suresh was completely out of your mind, then I could say it. I'm sorry," he apologized.

"What are you sorry for?"

"For being a coward."

"Not being able to admit a crush is not cowardly," she said softly. "It's just…in our nature."

"You deserve someone great," he repeated. "Someone not Suresh."

"You're someone not Suresh."

"I…" he sighed and got up; he wanted to leave even though it was his room. "No, I can't. I don't think either of us is ready."

Viper nodded sadly, collecting the game pieces. "I'll try to forget about Suresh."

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

His back was turned to her; he didn't think he could face her now. And he was also ashamed that he was so cowardly that he couldn't face her. When the door closed behind her, he let out the breath he'd been holding. Crane looked up at the stars, wondering why heaven was toying with him like this. Why should he love someone he could never—and would probably never—have?

* * *

Tigress gasped as Dalang took his hands away from her eyes. "It's beautiful!"

He kissed her cheek, "Yes you are."

He had brought her to a scenic public park that, as he had stated before, was well-known for its waterfalls. He'd asked Mei Xing to set up the blanket and basket for him, and he'd waited until the snow leopard gave him the signal. What Tigress was seeing was idyllic: a white blanket spread over an embankment, which overlooked a bubbling brook, with a low waterfall gurgling over smooth moss-covered river rocks.

Directly above their heads, the stars sparkled like gemstones set in a bejeweled mantle of dark blue. A large verdantly green willow tree provided enough privacy for their romantic excursion, for which she was grateful. She wasn't sure how she would feel if everyone in the valley saw her passionately kissing him. But the aroma coming from the basket took her attention away from those embarrassing thoughts, and it was almost too much for her to handle, as her mouth began to water.

Dalang knelt and lit the candles he had packed with the food, offering her a seat. "Would my lady care for a seat?"

Blushing, she knelt on the blanket next to him, "This is all so amazing. How did you plan all of this?"

He smiled at her, "It doesn't really matter, does it?" he leaned in close and whispered, "I wanted to make this really special. Sure, it's not the most creative way to show you a good time, but I'm still kinda new to this myself."

She laughed, "Yeah right! I'm sure you had girls clamoring all over themselves to get to you."

He chuckled, "If they did, I never noticed."

"You noticed me."

"You're hard to miss," he kissed her forehead. She was beyond giddy; no one had ever been this tender with her, or fawned over her, treated her like a queen. To think she'd rolled her eyes at women who wanted to be worshipped by their husbands or boyfriends; how wrong she was! Dalang's attention was invigorating and exciting and most importantly, he could do something that the other men in her life couldn't: he made her feel like a woman.

Not a lady. A woman.

And that felt better than anything else.

Her eyes widened when he pulled out a large round box full of steaming shrimp dumplings, then hot spring rolls wrapped in thin rice paper. He'd also made some stir-fried vegetables mixed in rice and hoisin sauce, and tofu mixed with a medley of snow peas, her favorite snack. _How did he know?_

He handed her some chopsticks and allowed her the first bite before he began eating. He grinned when she eagerly tucked in, smiling as she ate. Gods, he loved that smile! She could have looked completely grungy, bloodied up and sweaty from vigorous training, but if she smiled, she would still be the most beautiful woman on earth. He was certain of that. Chang-O and Kwan Yin could move over; Tigress was the new goddess in town.

Tigress was having similar thoughts about him. The way he ate spoke volumes: sure, the way he shoveled the food into his mouth made her laugh, but it said something about his habits. He probably had to eat fast in his business. Why he hadn't hired another cook to help was beyond her understanding. His ear twitched when he smiled. She giggled, "Your ear is twitching."

He stopped and slapped a hand to the offending ear. His face was bright red. "Sorry…it does that sometimes."

"Nervous tick?"

"No," he blushed, "It happens when I'm really happy."

Really? Hmm, she had to test this theory… Taking a mint leaf into her mouth, she bit down on it, letting the menthol cool her mouth before she leaned over and boldly pressed her lips to his. He froze, but returned the kiss eagerly. He even whined when she pulled away. Then she laughed, "It's twitching again!"

He slapped the hand back onto his head, muttering, "Traitor."

Tigress nuzzled him, "Its okay, I think it's cute."

He smirked and beckoned her over to lean against the tree. He sat with his back against the tree, and she sat between his legs, her back to his chest. They passed the rest of the evening like this, feeding each other, exchanging nuzzles and soft feathery kisses. When he pulled out the big surprise dessert, it was the best moment of the night so far.

He made a small fire by the riverbank, and set a pan of sugar on, throwing in a little water. Soon, the smell of melting sugar filled the air. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, but it did make her sneeze a couple times. He laughed and pulled her closer, showing her what he had.

He had chopped taro roots into cubes and, demonstrating for her, he dipped the cube into the caramelized sugar, then dropped the dripping cube into a bowl of cold water. She looked delighted at the cracking and popping as the caramelized sugar hardened in the cold water. He lifted it up for her to try.

"Careful, it might still be hot on the inside."

She opened her mouth, feeling just a little ridiculous as he placed the taro treat into her mouth. She closed her eyes as she chewed, and it had to be the second-most pleasurable experience of her life.

The first was, of course, receiving her first kiss from Dalang.

"Good?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm!" she hummed. "It's amazing!"

He smiled knowingly, "But you still like those rice and red bean balls I make, don't you?"

"Why shouldn't I? They were the first things you made for me, the first dessert I ever liked."

He smiled, his heart swelling with pride. "I still don't know what to call them."

"How about Red bean balls? Or red-bean rice dumplings?" she asked, helping herself to more taro.

He mused, "I thought of it, but none of the names I came up with sounded right or, um, appropriate…" he blushed.

She snickered when she realized what he meant, "Had _that_ on your mind, did you?"

He laughed deeply, his smile wide, "I'm a man, of _course_ I had it on my mind!"

She laughed heartily, grinning and teasing, "You poor man, always having such naughty thoughts on your mind! Can you think of nothing else?"

"Well…is it wrong to think of sex when you're cooking?"

She thought about it for a moment, then got a wicked idea. She could blame Mantis for it if it didn't work. If it did work…she'd need to thank Viper later. She looked up at him, "Let me feed you."

He smirked, "What're you planning?"

"Just close your eyes," she purred.

Well! He certainly wasn't going to refuse her if she spoke to him like that! He closed his eyes and sat a little straighter, eagerly anticipating her next move.

"Open your mouth," she said, almost sensuously, and he obeyed immediately. His lips closed around the taro cube as it entered his mouth, but he moaned when Tigress pressed her lips to his immediately after. The combined effect of the taro melting in his mouth and the sweet sugar on her lips was an exhilarating mix, and he wanted more.

He ran his tongue along her lips, silently asking for entry. To his surprise, she obliged him, running her tongue along his as she deepened the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her body pressed up against his. His arms encircled her waist, rubbing her back, and he moaned softly, chills running up and down his body.

Tigress moaned in disappointment when he pulled away; he looked deeply into her eyes, and she saw them darken with an emotion she didn't know. He moved forward and pressed his lips to her neck. Okay, she knew what that emotion was _now._ Electricity coursed through her body from this single kiss that rendered her completely weak, her head feeling light and dizzy. She clung to his shoulders to keep from falling over, closing her eyes in bliss and moaning softly. "Mm, Dalang…"

"Yes, my lady?"

The blush on her cheeks was positively crimson when she asked, "Don't stop."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He continued down her neck, nuzzling her, and running his hands up and down her back. The sensations were overloading her brain, and everything from the firm resolve to her strong sense of honor and propriety automatically shut down as soon as his lips met her skin.

She fired back, pushing him down onto the blanket and hungrily kissing him. Dalang, surprised by the move, but not adverse to it either, could do little more than lie back and let her kiss him. He was ready to completely give in. Then he remembered his promise, and the consequences of breaking it.

"Wait, wait!" he stopped her. "We can't."

"Why not?" she looked hurt…but she still kept nuzzling, kissing and nipping his neck.

He was finding it very hard to keep it together, "Because Shifu would kill me if I did."

"He's not going to kill you."

"You didn't see the look he gave me! He'll kill me if we do _anything_ like that without a ring on your finger!" The very thought of what the small master would do to him made his blood freeze in his veins. "He'll kill me. Kill me, marinate me in my own blood, sweat and tears, roast me over an open pit and then barbecue me!"

"He won't barbecue you," she said, lifting herself up. He watched her curiously, wondering what she was doing. She pushed him back down and unfastened the fasteners on his shirt all the way down, baring his chest. Then she smirked down at him, dipping her finger in the still-warm caramel and running the mixture up his neck.

"Tigress, what are you…OH sweet goddess of love!" he gasped. He wrapped his arms around her as she began licking the sugary concoction off of his fur. His mind shut down and decided to go for a vacation; Dalang could handle himself from here.

Tigress purred seductively. "Shifu won't barbecue you…you taste better covered in sugar anyway."

Oh damn. Oh hell YES.

No, wait.

"Don't you think we should wait?" he asked. "I mean, we're both pretty new to this and…" he trailed off when he saw her face fall. "I don't want to put you in any danger."

"Danger? What are you talking…oh," she realized what he meant, then blushed. "Um, I wasn't going to take it _that_ far."

"Really?" he asked. "How far were you planning this?"

"Um…" she blushed bright red.

He understood, "Almost the whole way?"

"If that's okay…" she asked shyly.

He smirked and sat up, discarded his shirt, and pulled her down into his lap, kissing her deeply. One hand snaked up her arm to undo the first fastener at her neck. Once her neck was bare, he began to kiss along it again. She closed her eyes and smiled as the hand on her back dipped lower…but she did not care.

Besides, no one was in the park that late on a Friday night, anyhow.

* * *

Tai Lung had never been in Wu's room, but found out very quickly that it had to be the master bedroom of the house. It was quite large, perhaps fifteen by twelve feet, but there was quite a lot of floor space. Her furniture was small to suit her diminutive size, and it looked to be all antiques, with some wear and tear. It suited her; she seemed the type to not care about material things. She appeared to love art, though, and had many paintings and wall scrolls adorning her walls. Her favorite subjects were plants, flowers, and mountains. She even had a painting of the Thread of Hope.

But, aside from her fan, she had nothing to remind her of his parents. Or so he thought.

He learned quickly that all the floor space had a method to this madness; no one petite woman needed that much room. That is, of course, unless she were a dancer.

She pursed her lips disapprovingly, correcting his stance with her closed fan. "No, no, turn your foot _out_, and don't look down for heaven's sake! If you were performing, would you let the audience _not_ see your handsome face?"

"I'm _not_ going to be performing, and why are you insisting on leg strength? I have plenty of strength there…" he argued.

She tapped the back of his knee lightly and he crumbled, falling to the floor with a loud thump. The small female snorted. "Plenty of strength, eh? What you don't seem to understand is that male dancers need to have both upper body and lower body strength. If you're constantly on your feet, they need to be strong, and have a high threshold for pain."

"I think I've got that covered," he said, standing back up. "I've broken both legs twice, cracked a few toes, dislocated a hip _and_ knee when I was fourteen…"

She shook her head. "When you train in dance, your feet will _bleed,_ and every step will feel like walking on knives. Think of learning to dance like learning to hit a brick wall—your knuckles bled for that, your arms ached, until even raising them to pick up a pair of chopsticks was excruciating…"

Oh yes, he remembered those days. They had been downright brutal. "I've never had any need for that much lower body strength…"

She kicked out one foot sharply and smirked as he fell into a perfect split. "Well, at least you're flexible; it gives me something to work with." She stepped back and watched him stretch out his back; she snapped her fingers when an idea came to her. "New plan!" She handed him a pair of fans.

He eyed them warily. "What are these for?"

"To help teach you balance. The Lotus style focuses on the use of props and utensils, traditionally not considered dangerous, and turning them into weapons. Kitchen knives, staves, farming equipment like rakes and garden hoes are all used…and fans as well. Tonight, I'm starting you off by teaching you Fan form."

He paused, staring at her, then laughed. "Are you…are you serious? Ha! Why should I bother…"

"The Fan form was your mother's specialty."

He stopped laughing immediately. Wu turned away to an ornate trunk at the foot of her bed. She reached inside her bodice and took out a key on a lanyard, and unlocked the trunk. Digging around for a moment, she pulled out something wrapped in brilliant red silk. When she turned back to him, she bid him to sit. She laid the bundle on the floor in front of him, and slowly unwrapped it. When he saw them, he knew instinctively what they were.

They were a pair of fans, and they had belonged to his mother. There was also an ornately carved iron dagger, and it must have been his father's.

"No one has touched these since your parents did. I kept them in this silk for years, ever since they died. I refused to touch them, until I found you. I knew I would someday; it was written in the stars that you were out there somewhere. Twenty years ago, I saw in your star charts—Tenzin's charts—that he somehow lost something dear to him, that something important had been taken away. I now realize it was your freedom."

"Not the scroll?"

"The scroll was never yours to claim in the first place. I knew that when I first drafted your charts after your birth. You would accomplish great things, be a warrior, but also a man of peace."

He shook his head, "No one can be both a warrior and a man of peace."

"Oogway was, and so was your father," she pointed out. "He retired from fighting after he was married, and became a blacksmith." She paused, and sighed, "I want you to know, if you have any questions about your parents, please, don't hesitate to ask."

Tai Lung stared down at the heirlooms—his inheritance—and asked, "May I?"

"You may."

He tentatively reached out and picked up the dagger, feeling the weight of it in his hands. It was finely made, by a true craftsman, whose name was carved into the bronze sheath: Sonam. His father had made this. He extracted the blade, the steel still brilliant and shining after four decades. His father had been skilled.

He picked up one of Nima's fans next; it felt surprisingly heavy, like it was not made of wood and paper at all.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?"

He thought about it for a moment, then snapped it open.

_Shnnk!_

His eyes widened, and he remembered Wu's earlier comments: _her fans were so hypnotic, _and _she was beautiful, but deadly.  
_

Now he knew why; they were made of solid, sharpened steel. The handle was wrapped in a strong leather grip, and the blades looked sharp, even after nearly forty years. He ran his thumb over the edge and hissed, pulling his hand away. "Ah!"

"Careful," she said, smirking, "They're still sharp."

"Didn't notice," he said wryly, sucking the blood from the cut. He had a whole new respect for his mother's art—if you could kill with fans like these, how much damage could the wood and paper do in the right hands?

"Still think fans are a waste of time?" she asked.

He picked up the other fan and snapped it open; a perfect pair, both shining in the candlelight. "You know?" he said. "If it means I get to use something like these, I don't think there will be a problem."

Wu smiled, collecting the weapons to put back in her trunk, safely tucked away until they were needed. "Good. Pick up those paper fans on the table. We begin tonight."

* * *

Tai Lung immediately regretted Wu's offer. He sat in the kitchen a couple hours later with hot, moist towels over his legs to ease the sore muscles. Su Lin handed him a cooling salve for his feet, and he winced as he leaned down to apply it. Simply poking the tops of his feet hurt, and his legs were sore; he knew he'd pulled a fair number of muscles.

"You didn't need to stay up, you know," he told Su Lin.

She shook her head, "I don't mind. If we're going to be training every night, I want to make sure I can stay up."

"Well, not _every_ night," he corrected. "You need to start off slowly, or you'll hurt yourself."

"You mean like you are right now?" she asked worriedly.

"I've had worse," he winced. "Ow…right, I won't try moving that."

"Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"Su, I'm hurting in places I didn't even know I _had_."

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh."

"That's fine, that was intentional anyway," he winked. "How do you feel about your training so far?"

She paused, "Um…well, I'm excited of course. Knowing how to protect myself would be very important, but I wouldn't want to hurt anybody."

"Of course not," he said. "But you need to know that others won't be as merciful as you are—knowing how to attack when you need to, and knowing _when_ to do it is very important."

She nodded. "May I confess something?"

"Shoot."

"I'm also kind of scared."

"Scared?" he asked curiously.

The panda hung her head, "I'm worried I won't do well enough, that I'd let you and Master Po down. I don't want to disappoint anyone, but what if I work so hard, but then its not enough? I mean, I'm just a panda, and pandas don't become warriors…"

"Po did."

She smiled, and he saw a blush rising on her cheeks, "Yes, he is very sweet."

Something flared up inside him at that moment, like a beast beating against the bars of a cage, snapping and snarling. The rage he felt at that moment surprised him; what _was_ that emotion he'd just felt?

"Do you think I'll do okay?" she asked him, looking very uncertain.

He smiled, patting her shoulder, "Su, if Mei Xing can punch me hard enough to chip a tooth on her first night, I think you'll have no problem picking things up."

"I will so long as you're there. You're a great teacher."

He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling, "Well, I try…" Was he blushing? He was Tai Lung! He didn't blush!

The two of them got distracted when Dalang swept into the kitchen, singing and dancing, practically kicking up his heels with joy. Panda and leopard shared a look, then noted the time. They shared a smirk.

"Welcome back," she said.

"Good date?" he asked.

"_Awesome_ date!" he corrected, putting the basket and blanket aside. A grin was plastered on his face, and he didn't stop whistling the happy tune he'd been singing.

"So, it went well, did it?" Tai Lung asked suggestively.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, yes it did."

Su Lin gasped, blushing, "Dalang! You didn't!"

"No, we didn't!" he insisted. "We didn't need to; besides, Shifu would have _murdered_ me if I did."

"But you got pretty close," the leopard smirked.

The tiger glared, "Oh shut up you pervert; she's twenty years younger than you!"

"She's still good-looking; yes, I noticed! And _yes_ I know she's off-limits…"

"You're damn right she is!" Dalang glared. Then he smiled, sighing wistfully. "This night was _perfect_…it went better than I thought it ever could."

"And yet there was no sex."

"There doesn't _need_ to be sex, pervert!"

"Sticks and stones, tiger," the leopard waved him off.

"No, really, you're a pervert!"

"Who's a pervert?" Po asked, poking his head into the kitchen. He grinned and waved at Dalang, "Hey, good date?"

"You saw us at the gate, what do you think?"

"Seeing her again?"

"Tomorrow!" he grinned.

"Nice!" the panda said, giving him a high-five.

Su Lin smiled and waved at Po, "Hello again, Master Po! Are we training again tonight?"

"Actually, I came to see if Tai wanted to do some sparring…" he stopped when he saw the leopard's current situation, and the leopard's deadpan stare told him enough. "Or…we could discuss plans for designing an obstacle course."

"Good call."

Su got up to make some tea while the two warriors sat at the table. Po had brought along a messenger bag filled with scrolls; pulling out a blank one, he handed Tai Lung a list. "This is what I saw in some of these scrolls. Construction looks easy enough, and won't be overkill on the girls."

"Yes, I remember these. You have the blueprints with you?"

"Sure do," Po said, pulling them out. "Here we are!"

Dalang happily went about his business of cleaning up for the night, as he did every night, but was stopped when Po asked, "Hey, Dalang? Would you mind coming with us to the training grounds again?"

"Why?"

"We'll need a second opinion. You know the girls and their abilities better than we do."

Tai Lung stood up gingerly, the muscles in his legs and feet still throbbing. "Ah, _ow_…we'll—ow—have to walk slowly."

"Just take some opium for the pain, you'll be fine."

"Screw the opium, I'm no drug addict."

Dalang fixed his jaw and said nothing for a moment. "Let me get you another painkiller then."

Tai Lung winced as he realized he'd pulled his hamstring after all. "Get me an obscene amount."

"Enough to kill you?"

"You wish."

* * *

It was nearing dawn, and the three of them had not had any sleep at all. While Po and Tai Lung dragged themselves back to the village, Dalang was still jumpy and perky from the pleasurable second date.

"Man, I can't _wait_ until tonight!"

"Then you can slow down so some of us can keep up," Tai Lung groaned. The painkillers had helped, but now he chewed more of the herbs to help him cope with the pain in his legs. When Wu said he needed a high threshold for pain, she wasn't kidding. Thankfully, the herbs began to work, and walking became less painful.

Aunt Wu's was within sight by the first light of dawn. Just as well—they needed to get Tai Lung indoors before anyone saw him.

But just as they made for the back alley, the sound of an opening door caught their attention. All three males paled, then bolted to the closest hiding places they could find. Tai Lung was up against a wall, futilely hiding behind some barrels. He looked up and spied his bedroom window. He was so close…

A mother rabbit stepped outside, her yearling child on her hip. She set him down and grasped a bucket for water from the nearby well, but the leveret took off on his chubby little legs. Teetering down the alley, his mother ran after him. "Fu! Come back here!"

Tai Lung felt his heart stop. The mother and baby were running straight towards him!

* * *

A nice long update culminating in another cliffhanger! God I'm evil. Next update comes Friday night! Review, yes/yes?


	15. Kitty!

Luna sez: "Friday Update"Luna is a total LIAR.

Here's Friday's update a day early! Next chapter is already under way, and will be finished sometime this weekend (or, if work is slow tomorrow, there will be a Friday Update after all).

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't sue. Own the OCs, so don't steal. Also, try naming all three classic comedy references in this chapter—I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you have fun reading!

On the subject of the drawings: as soon as I get my hands on Photoshop 7, I'll try and get the pics out. Another note about the pictures: why, oh WHY did I have to choose **peonies **for Tigress's dress?! Clearly I like torturing myself :P ah well, that's life. Enough of my ranting: Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14: Kitty!

* * *

He was dangerously close to being discovered and he knew it. In the shadows on the other side of the street, Dalang and Po looked pale, their ashen faces expressing their bated breath.

The mother and baby were less than five feet from him, and closing in. The baby hopped along, squealing and giggling while his mother chased after him. "Fu! Get back here you little rascal!" she called.

He just giggled and ran as fast as his short chubby legs would carry him. He stopped right in front of Tai Lung, the leveret almost toppling over onto his face. At last minute, the toddler recovered, then looked to the side. The child's bright brown eyes met Tai Lung's, and the child grinned, holding out his little arms to the leopard.

"Kitty!" he squealed.

"No sweetheart, there's no kit…" the mother trailed off when she caught up with her child, finally seeing Tai Lung hiding in the shadows. Her white face took on an ashen pallor, and she opened her mouth to scream.

Before Tai Lung could react and run, the baby screamed as something large flew by, snatching the child up. The mother screamed, running after her baby; Tai Lung was now the least of her worries. "Fu! My baby!"

The baby cried for his mama, his kidnapper landing on a rooftop. Jiao Huang grinned maliciously at the distraught mother, and held her child out over the street by the back of his shirt. He pulled a knife out of his belt and held it to the child's neck.

"An interesting poison, lye," he said idly. "If you swallow it, it eats away at your insides…dip a blade into it, and cut skin, it eats that away too. Fascinating, isn't it?" he sneered at the mother.

She screamed at him, attracting the attention of the entire neighborhood. People began pouring out of their houses, staring up at the rooftop and watching in horror. Tai Lung looked across the street at Po and Dalang, who were just as flabbergasted as he was; Dalang, however, looked halfway angry and much paler than he had been before.

Huang looked out over the crowd, clutching the baby tighter. "People of the Valley of Peace!" he called out. "I am issuing you an ultimatum. Either you bring me the Dragon Warrior, or one person will die every hour, on the hour…" he noted the position of the rising sun, knowing the hour mark was only a few precious minutes away. Smiling savagely at the crying child, he gently ran the blade close to the child's throat, careful not to touch. Finishing his thought, he said, "Every hour, starting with this one…"

"No!" the mother was wailing, "Please no!"

Po stood up, Dalang yanked him back down, "What are you doing?!"

"I gotta stop him, I can't let that kid die."

"Po, I know this guy, you're no match for him."

"But I'm the Dragon Warrior; I defeated Tai Lung, when I'd only trained for a few days. I've been training a year, I can take this guy!"

"No, you can't. The one difference between him and Tai Lung…" Dalang hissed. He locked eyes with the leopard across the street, "Even when he's at his nastiest, Tai Lung fights fair. That guy," he nodded up to the tiger on the roof, "Has more knowledge of poisons and blades than any other assassin in China. He's calling you out intentionally! Po, he's going to kill you!"

"I have no choice!" Po argued. "He's going to kill the kid if I _don't_ go!"

Tai Lung overheard everything. He too noted the sun's position in the sky. The child's wails and the mother's pleas were all that could be heard in the hush of the crowd. The leopard looked around him, back at the mother, and at the child in the assassin's clutches and sighed.

"Oh, the hell with it," he muttered.

Po finally broke out of Dalang's grasp. "L'EGGO!"

"NO. You are NOT sacrificing your—" both panda and tiger felt the rush of wind and kicked-up dust, then both noticed Tai Lung was no longer in his hiding place. A collective gasp rose in the crowd, and the pair looked up with slackened jaws as Tai Lung jumped onto the roof.

Huang gaped at the snow leopard, noting that this challenger was not who he was expecting. He knew exactly who he was looking at, and for the first time in his life, he felt fear course through his body like ice through his veins.

"T-" he stuttered, astonished. "T-Tai Lung…"

"In the flesh," the leopard said, acting nonchalant. "And you are?"

"You're supposed to be dead!" Huang pointed accusingly.

"'You're supposed to be dead', eh? Rather odd name; I assume you're foreign?"

Huang snarled, holding the baby higher, "You're not the Dragon Warrior!"

"Don't remind me."

"Where is he?"

"How should I know? I'm here for the same reason you are…I assume," he arched an eyebrow. His eyes flicked over to the baby, who had stopped wailing to stare back at him. "Though why you feel the need to bring an innocent civilian into a gentleman's duel is beyond me."

"Like you would never sink so low…" Huang accused.

"In a one-on-one battle? Never. But, I'm offering a proposition…"

"Ha! Like I'll ever team up with you!" the tiger laughed scathingly.

Tai Lung stared at him, completely perplexed, and fought the urge to slap his hand to his forehead. "No…I was going to say that you should give the child to me, so I can give him back to his family…then we can kill each other like civilized people."

Huang stared incredulously at him, the let out a barking laugh, "Are you serious! Haha, you, you've gone soft!"

Tai Lung snarled, but Wu's voice clicked in his head: _keep your temper in check. That is what got you into trouble before._

Alright, but this punk was really asking for it.

Huang looked up at the sky again, and Tai Lung knew he was running out of time. "Look, just let the kid go, there's no reason to hold onto him."

Huang glanced at him, then sneered maliciously. The leopard's heart sank when he realized how his words could be misconstrued.

"I'm glad you agree," Huang said, right before he let go.

The mother screamed in horror as her baby tumbled to the earth, covering her face and crying when she heard a loud thump on the ground in front of her. Horrified, she shook her head, wailing, until her goose neighbor gasped, "He…he saved him."

"What?" the mother looked and her jaw dropped. Right in front of her, Tai Lung crouched, panting, dust settling around him, and Baby Fu nestled safely in one arm. Baby Fu looked up at Tai Lung, who looked back at the leveret. The leveret's round little face broke into a grin and he wrapped his short arms around the leopard's upper arm, squealing happily, "Kitty!"

"Oh, _brilliant_," he said mordantly. A shout from above alerted him, and he rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the tiger's downward strike. Huang seethed, angered by being denied his power.

"You _are_ weak…you used to be the fear of the valley, and what, now you're their savior?"

Tai Lung stood, sighing, and simultaneously trying to shake the leveret's hold off of his arm. "Look, mate, I'm here for the same reason you are—to fight the Dragon Warrior and regain my honor…which _is_ why you're here, right?"

Huang laughed. "Honor? No; Glory, yes! I seek the Dragon Scroll!"

This time Tai Lung did slap a hand to his forehead, dragging his hand down his face. "Oh for the love of…" he muttered. Then he spoke up, "Look, don't bother, alright? Trust me, you're not going to gain anything from it."

"I seek the ultimate power of the universe!"

Tai Lung pointed at himself, "Yeah, join the club. Kid, get _off._" The rabbit still clung to his arm, using a toddler's favorite word, "No!"

"Get off."

"No."

"Right now."

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

"Let's go."

"No."

"While I'm young…"

"No!"

Tai Lung growled, rolling his eyes, "If you don't let go right now, I'll—oh hell," he dodged as Huang came at him with the poisoned blade.

"Stand and fight!" Huang demanded, his eyes glaring daggers as poisonous as the ones in his hands.

"Um, why?"

"For the glory of fighting the Dragon Warrior!"

He couldn't believe his ears, "You want to have a _tournament_ to see who faces the Dragon Warrior? Are you _mad_, man?" One look at the seething, panting tiger told Tai Lung his answer. "Right."

Huang dove in for another attack. Tai Lung turned sharply and kicked the tiger in the stomach, performed a 360 turn, swinging his other leg into the side of the assassin's head. Huang fell to the ground, and slowly staggered to get back up. Tai Lung shook his head, "Let's be real here: I'm the greatest kung fu warrior in history, Dragon Scroll or no. I know more than the Dragon Warrior knows! You can't beat me…ah!"

He gasped and threw himself backwards, landing on his back, narrowly avoiding a strike from the tiger. He rolled over, jumped up and back flipped over the tiger's head, Baby Fu still hanging from his arm. Tai Lung growled at the baby, "Seriously, LET GO."

Huang swung around, swiping the blade dangerously close to Tai Lung's chest. Luckily, he only caught the fabric of his white shirt, ripping it open; the blade never touched his skin, though it did shave off a couple hairs. Fu clung to his sleeve, suddenly looking scared. "Kitty…"

"Kitty's busy, kid," Tai Lung muttered, jumping straight up, then kicking out; instead of catching the tiger in the face, Huang grabbed his foot and swung him around. Tai Lung turned his body so that his back hit the brick wall, and that no part of Fu's fragile body was harmed. Huang didn't give him any time to recover, charging in with knives flashing.

"Kitty!" Fu cried.

"Kitty's busy!" he yelled.

The leopard blocked two thrusts with his one arm, bringing his leg up and hooking around Huang's arm as he thrust low. Swinging his leg the other way, he caught the tiger's arm in the hook, twisting the other cat's body so that he fell to the ground.

Tai Lung jumped over the body and grabbed the tiger's tail, yanking hard. The striped cat yowled loudly and spit at him, forgoing his knives in favor of his claws. The leopard brought up his free arm to block, but felt the claws ripping through his sleeve and his flesh. Fu suddenly screamed, making him react quickly. He punched, hitting the other cat square in the face.

He stepped on the tiger's feet, propping him back up like a garden hoe, then punched him again. Huang fell to the ground, his face and nose bloodied, eyes tearing up. He wouldn't be down for long.

Tai Lung grabbed a fistful of Fu's shirt and pulled as hard as he dared. The little rabbit held strong. "Oh _come ON_ already!"

"No! Wanna Kitty!"

"Kitty can't play right now, Kitty's busy!"

"Wanna play!"

Tai Lung looked pleadingly at the baby's mother, who—like the other villagers—was watching him in astonishment. Huang groaned and began to stir; Tai Lung needed to work fast. He pleaded with the lapin mother, "Can't you _do_ something? He's _killing_ me here!"

"Look out!" she screamed.

Tai Lung hit the floor flat on his back and kicked up with both legs…catching Huang between his; the tiger was shoved ten feet into the air and landed flat on his back, the wind thoroughly knocked out of him, and in excruciating pain between his thighs.

Tai Lung panted, feeling as if his heart had stopped. That was too close. He turned and nodded at the mother, "Thanks."

"Sure. Um, Mr. Tai Lung, sir? May I have my son back?"

Tai Lung held out the arm to which the baby was clinging. "Madam, _please_ take him."

"Nooooo!" the baby cried, showing the innate ability all children possess to elongate a singular syllable into several. He held out his arms to Tai Lung as Fu's mother held him tightly, kissing his soft-furred head. "NO! Wanna Kitty!"

"Kitty can play later," he said. "Kitty is busy right now."

"Kitty play?"

"Yes," he said. "Kitty play later."

"Yay!" he squealed and giggled. Tai Lung and the rabbit mother shared a look, both of them silently expressing how awkward that whole exchange had been.

Huang scrambled to his feet, his face paling when he saw Tai Lung walk towards him. The tiger's courage failed him and he darted off in the opposite direction. Tai Lung turned to the nearest citizen, a pig, who cowered at the sight of him. "Should I go after him?"

"W-What?" the swine stammered.

Tai Lung rolled his eyes, "Never mind." Spotting a few long planks leaning up against a wall, he grabbed one, and hoisted it up in the air. As it fell back to earth, he jumped up, twirled and swung his leg out like he had done in Chor-Ghom, knocking the plank straight up. He landed in a crouch, then murmured, "Three, two, one…" then smirked as the plank fell right on top of Huang's retreating back. "And I've still got it. _Damn_, I'm good..."

The silence of the crowd behind him was especially unnerving. He felt dozens of eyes on his back. This was going to get very awkward very fast. He turned around and stared back at the villagers. It was so silent, he would probably have heard a falling leaf landing in the dust.

Scanning the crowd, he rubbed the back of his neck, paused, then asked, "So…does anyone know where the Dragon Warrior is, by any chance?"

No one said a word.

After an agonizingly long moment for him, the mother of Baby Fu stepped forward, still clinging to her baby. She stepped right up to him, and their eyes locked for a moment. She motioned for him to kneel; he did. She did something he never expected.

She hugged him. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, letting grateful tears make their escape down her cheeks. She pulled away and kissed his cheek, and looked him in the eye.

"Thank you," she said. "Heaven bless you."

"You're…welcome?" he said, utterly flummoxed. This was getting _unbearably _uncomfortable.

"You saved my baby's life. I don't think I could ever repay you."

"You _do_ realize who I am, right?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't care. In my eyes, you're a hero."

Did…did she just call him a hero? _Quick, say something!_ "No I'm not, I just did what anyone would."

"You were the only one brave enough to do anything, and you saved him!" she insisted.

"Well of course I did, no one's _that_ heartless."

Wait. Dalang had said that to him. _You were nearly dead in the snow. I couldn't just leave you there. No one's that heartless._

At the time, Tai Lung had wondered if he was truly heartless. Looking at this mother and her baby, he smiled a little. Well what do you know? He wasn't that heartless after all.

"Just don't expect this to happen again. This was a one-time thing."

"Sure," she said, smiling knowingly in that way mothers do, her tone implying she was clearly not convinced. Still smiling, she answered his question, "The Dragon Warrior should be at the Palace, or his father, Mr. Ping's, noodle shop."

"Thanks."

He straightened up, then jumped up to the rooftops and took off for the Jade Palace. Once he was out of sight, he jumped down behind an alley, catching his breath. He'd saved someone; he'd protected someone from almost certain death. And it felt good. It felt _really_ good. In fact, he didn't think he had ever felt this happy, this contented, in his entire life!

Now he knew why the Furious Five and Po were so dedicated; if defending and saving people made them feel as good as he was feeling at that moment…

He wanted to do it again. This was a natural high he had never experienced before, and it was intoxicating. This was a drug he had no qualms getting addicted to.

He jumped when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Po was grinning ear to ear, and Dalang smirked, "So…no one's that heartless, huh?"

Po gave the leopard a one-armed hug and boasted, "Didn't I tell you?! I knew you could do it! You should've seen yourself, those people, after you left, they were _cheering_ you!"

"They…they cheered? For me?"

Po nodded.

Whoa.

"You saved a baby, Tai Lung, of course they cheered," Dalang said. "Granted, it wasn't from a burning building, but still…"

"I'll take what I can get," the leopard said, staring at the tiger. "Which reminds me—Panda, stand back a second." He jumped up, grabbed Dalang by his shirtfront and slammed him up against the wall. The tiger gasped for breath, eyes widening as his attacker raised his fist to him.

"You knew who that other tiger was, and its time to start talking," Tai Lung growled. "I almost got myself killed! Who was that, and how the hell did he get here?"

Dalang sputtered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Po sounded suspicious too, "No, you know exactly what he means. You told me that guy was baiting me, and would kill me. How do you know him?

"Choose your next words carefully," the leopard warned. "I have no problem making them your last."

Dalang laughed mirthlessly. "You're bluffing—you've never murdered anyone; I have. You don't have it in you."

"I killed Vachir," he pointed out, "and numerous guards."

"That was manslaughter at best. You never had intent."

"How do you know that? In fact, how do you know I won't do it?"

"The Dragon Warrior won't let you."

Tai Lung snarled and wrapped his hand around the tiger's throat. "You're trying my patience, and I have very little of it. SPEAK!"

Po grasped the leopard's shoulder. "Hey, take it easy! Ease up, he'll die!"

"That's the point," he said darkly.

Dalang's eyes widened and he choked, gasping for breath and struggling in his grasp. Before he came close to blacking out, he finally croaked, "He's…my brother."

Tai Lung released him, completely shocked. Dalang fell to his knees and coughed, sucking down precious air and massaging his throat. Color was gradually returning to his face.

"Your…brother?"

"Yeah," he coughed. "Look, it's not a big deal, okay? I severed ties to my family a long time ago—I'm not one of them anymore!"

"But you were at one time," Po said, looking angry. "You brought them here, didn't you?"

"NO!" the tiger stood, head swimming. "No, I'd never do that! I was _running_ from them!"

Tai Lung stared at him. "Then the man you killed…"

"He was my uncle. I have six older brothers: Shang, the oldest, then there was Xiang, Huang, Feng, and the twins Chang and Ang."

"Lotta '_ang_st' in your family?" Po punned.

"Dad's idea, not mine."

"And 'dad' is…?" the panda interrogated.

Dalang sighed and hung his head in shame. "My father is Jiao Shen."

* * *

It took the other two warriors a moment to get over their shock. Tai Lung was completely flummoxed; but he shouldn't have been. The tiger had been alluding to it the whole time. Why, _why_ hadn't he paid closer attention? The signs were all there, and he never saw them.

He remembered something else, and it made his blood run hot through his veins like magma, threatening to burst into a catastrophic eruption. He clenched his fists, shaking with rage, his eyes boring into the tiger's, and he was quickly losing the hold on his temper.

"You killed Su Lin's family."

Dalang paled. "No…no, it wasn't me. For heaven's sake, I was seventeen!"

"You killed them…" the leopard took a step forward, Dalang took two steps back; since first meeting the leopard, at this present moment, the tiger was truly afraid of him.

"Tai Lung, it wasn't me! My father ordered them to—"

"So it's always what Daddy wants, is it? You held the torch with the rest of them, didn't you?! You're just as guilty!"

"No, I swear! I swear on my mother's grave I had nothing to do with it!" He was truly panicking now.

"LIAR!" he grabbed him again, shaking him like a dog shaking a rat. "You lying sack of—"

"HOLD IT!" Po jumped between the two, pushing Tai Lung away. "You should listen to him."

"Give me one good reason! He brought the Jiao to the Valley! How many are there, Dalang?" he screamed at him. "An entire army? How soon will they be here?" he demanded.

"It doesn't matter," Po said. "No one's stupid enough to take a whole army across the Thread of Hope—the bridge can't support that many at one time. By the time an army even gets across—if they ever do in one piece—everyone in the Valley would already know. That's why the Valley has always been a place of peace."

Dalang nodded, visibly shaking, "Th-that's why we came here…we thought Shen wouldn't think to come here. With Masters Oogway and Shifu, and the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior…we thought we'd be safe. I didn't bring them here; it's not like I invited them!" he shouted.

Tai Lung snarled viciously. "And how do I know you won't try to kill anyone like your father and brothers did?"

Po suddenly pushed him back and dodged as a knife embedded itself in the dirt where their feet were only seconds before.

Jiao Huang was standing there, wielding his poisoned knives at the trio. The tiger was seething, glaring at the leopard with bloodshot eyes. Dried blood covered his face, and he was visibly limping. "You know he won't…because he's weak!" He spit at Tai Lung's feet. "You stole my honor…you've been working with those traitors the whole time, haven't you?!"

Tai Lung looked at Po and Dalang, then nodded, "Yeah, yeah, actually I have."

Huang made a move to strike, but Dalang was faster. He tackled his brother, pinning the smaller tiger's wrists to the ground. Huang spit up in the younger tiger's face, kicking him off. Holding a knife blade to his neck, Huang seethed, "You were always weak…the leopard's right though. You held the torch that night…at seventeen, you still hadn't killed anyone. That was your chance, and you blew it. Threw that torch away! I should have slit your throat that night—but no, that honor had to go to Shang!"

"Having mercy is not weakness!" Dalang spit back at him. "Shang proved that!"

"That spineless dog let you live—Father disowned you, and ordered you to be killed to preserve our honor. Shang was supposed to do it, he was supposed to slice you open, slit your skinny little throat, and feed your worthless carcass to the vultures…STAND BACK!" he screamed at Po as he tried to make a move. "Stand back or he's dead!"

Tai lung took two steps forward, arms crossed. "Go ahead."

"What?" Huang asked, perplexed.

"WHAT?" Po demanded.

"I'm calling your bluff," the leopard said. "If you were going to kill him, you would've done it already."

"I want him to suffer…I want him to feel his life ebbing away like the tides…"

"Stab him in the stomach," he offered. "That's a slow and painful way to…" and suddenly, Dalang used the distraction the leopard had graciously afforded him and took his one shot at freedom.

His hand shot to his brother's belt and grabbed a random vial of poison, smashing the glass into Huang's face. The older tiger let out a shriek, falling on his back and convulsing as the poison seeped into his mouth, nose and eyes. He scrambled to the wall, his claws digging into the plaster desperately. Tai Lung and Po could only stand by and watch helplessly as the tiger died slowly in complete agony.

His screams were cut off sharply, his face turned blue, and he slumped against the wall. He stopped moving.

Dalang panted, tossing the broken glass away. "That must've been his favorite poison."

"Which one was that?" Po asked breathlessly, obviously shell-shocked from witnessing the violent death; in truth, Tai Lung wasn't looking much better.

"Don't ask me what's in it—I just know that once it gets in the bloodstream, it burns. It'll eventually cut off your airways, and you suffocate. He liked to use that when he felt like having some fun."

"I bet that made your family reunions very entertaining," the leopard retorted. At this point, his sarcasm was the only coping device he possessed.

"He's dead?" Po gasped in horror.

"Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure he's dead," Dalang said, oddly unemotional.

"No, he can't be dead!"

"Why do you care? He would have killed us all!" the leopard argued.

"And how are we going to explain a dead body?!" Po pointed out.

The tiger and leopard paled; oh crap, he was right.

"Is there a chance he's still alive? Maybe there's an antidote?" Po suggested.

Dalang began going through the vials along the three belts. "Working on it!"

"I don't think it matters," Tai Lung said, his voice rising with panic. He couldn't be seen with a dead body—the people were already seeing him as a hero; this would ruin everything! "I'm pretty sure he's dead by _now_!"

"No, he can still be alive!" Po shoved the body, "See? There he moved!"

"No he didn't!" Tai Lung griped. "You pushed him!"

"Okay, we shouldn't panic! Maybe we can save him!"

"Save him? Do you see the way he's leaning?!" Tai Lung asked incredulously, making a face at the unnatural angle of the joints and the unhealthy blue-green in the tiger's frozen face.

Po wasn't discouraged, "Hey, maybe if you hit him with your nerve attack, maybe that'll start his heart and, you know, Voom!"

"He wouldn't 'voom' if you doused him in cooking oil and set him on fire! He's bleeding _demised_!"

"But…"

"No! He's passed on!" he insisted, grilling the concept using as many euphemisms as he could think of. "Listen, mate, this tiger is no more! He has ceased to be! Expired and gone to meet his maker, he's a stiff! Bereft of life, he rests in peace! If he wasn't propped up like that he'd be pushing up daisies! His metabolic processes are now history! He's off the twig, kicked the bucket, shuffled off this mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleeding choir invisible! THIS IS AN _EX_-TIGER!"

By the end of his recital, the snow leopard was breathing harder, trying not to let panic overtake him; if either of them had been caught outside with this dead brother of the dim sum restaurant's chef…well, just thinking about how complicated the situation had become was making his head hurt.

Dalang had given up searching for an antidote, having checked for a pulse and finding none. He finally said, "So…I guess we gotta do something about the body then."

"You THINK?" the leopard nearly shrieked, his fur standing on end on his shoulders and tail.

They looked around the alley, searching for their answer; Dalang spotted an old cart and tarp.

"I've got a plan."

* * *

"Hey, you there!" the pig called. Dalang and Po froze, sharing a panicked look. The trio had "borrowed" the cart and tarp to carry the body of Jiao Huang—and the very much alive Tai Lung—to a point of safety without drawing too much attention. Unfortunately, a guard of the judge magistrate called over to them, the expression on his face extremely suspicious. Then he saw who he was talking to.

"Oh, Po! And the chef Dalang, how are you? I didn't know you knew each other."

Po lied quickly; having spent so much time with the snow leopard, he was getting pretty good at it, "Oh, yeah, well, you know, we're already acquainted, we're just getting to know each other better."

"Exchanging recipes, eh?" the pig smiled. "Better watch yourself Dalang; this warrior here could make noodles so good it could put you out of business."

Dalang smiled uneasily, then his eyes caught something that made his heart stop. His dead brother's lower arm had fallen out and was limply hanging from under the tarp. He quickly took the arm into his opposite hand and held it there, making the arm look like his own, and stomping his foot twice on the ground as a signal to Tai Lung. Under the tarp, the leopard took the verbal cues and moved the arm to suit the purpose during the conversation.

"Well darn! You know, I was never really good with noodles anyway…"

"Your dumplings are amazing, though" Po complimented, then said to the guard, "And you should try his crab wontons!"

"Just added to the menu!" Dalang said energetically, thinking quickly. "Matter of fact, we need to get these crabs back to the restaurant before they go bad!"

The swine guard stepped forward and sniffed. He made a disgusted face, waving a hand in front of his nose. "Hoo! You'd better hurry then! They're already starting to smell rotten!"

Po laughed uneasily. "Heh, fishmongers, what're ya gonna do?"

Dalang flashed a smile. The guard held out his hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Dalang…"

Dalang felt the hidden Tai Lung move the dead arm to shake the pig's outstretched hand, and the pig's eyes widened.

"Holy…your hands are ice cold!"

"Oh, yeah," the tiger nodded, "They've always been like that. I'm glad I left the freezing cold north; let's just say that."

"Gotcha. Well, I won't keep you, have a good day, gentlemen."

"You too," the pair chorused as the pig returned to his patrols. Po sent the tiger a look as he stuffed the dead arm back under the tarp. The two took a hold of the cart's handles and hurried along the street towards the garbage dump on the outside of the village walls.

When they arrived, they looked around to see that no one was watching, then tore the tarp from over the two bodies. Tai Lung gasped for fresh air and stumbled off the cart, coughing and hacking to get the stench of death out of his nose and lungs.

"Oh sweet gods in heaven!" he swore, pointing at them. "You two _owe_ me."

"Fresh crab wontons, extra helpings, I promise."

"Bowl of noodles, on the house," Po promised.

"That better be the best damn bowl of noodles I've ever had."

"Are you gonna help us here or not?"

Tai Lung groaned and stood up, taking the dead tiger's legs while the other two shared an arm between them. "You know, for a short guy, he weighs a lot."

"Probably why they call it 'dead weight'," Po stated cynically.

Tai Lung smirked. "Was that a sarcastic comment?"

"He's been hanging out with you too much," Dalang said, "You've corrupted him."

The leopard mock-sniffed, "I know…I'm so proud!"

Once they reached a good place to hide the body, they nodded. "Count of three. One…" Dalang counted.

"Two…" Po said.

"Three," Tai Lung said, then the three swung, and watched the corpse fall into the refuse pile and sink out of sight.

Po shook his head, feeling the guilt sinking in like a boulder dropped into the sea, "This was wrong, this was all so very, very wrong."

Tai Lung shrugged, "Just one more sin to add to my list. I'll take full responsibility for you at the Gates of Hell."

"Gee, thanks…"

"Hey, _I'm_ the one who killed him," Dalang said, then stopped, "Wait, why am I arguing this?"

"Don't rightly know," the leopard said. "Just hand that title over to me, I'll take the blame."

"Why?"

"I'm easier to blame—we've already established I'm no saint."

Po and Dalang nodded. "True."

"You're not supposed to agree with me."

"Too late."

He scowled, then counted off his sins, "Okay, my list of sins, lets see…theft, petty theft, attempted grand larceny, grand larceny, multiple counts of destruction of property, manslaughter, attempted murder, numerous sexual sins…"

"When did _that_ happen?" Po asked.

"Before Chor-Ghom; I met a rather, ah, _nice_ girl in the red light district, who let me do quite a few things..."

"Do we _want_ to know how many unholy acts you committed?" Dalang groaned.

"Eh, No."

"Okay then."

"And now I can add murder by poisoning and destroying the evidence by dumping the body," he added almost cheerfully.

"Taking responsibility for that is very gracious of you," Po said.

"Again with the sarcasm!" the leopard grinned. "Panda, I'm so proud of you!"

Dalang stopped them, "Okay question…"

"Answer, lets see if they match," Tai Lung replied, smirking at the tiger's sour expression, clearly ticked that the leopard used the tiger's favorite saying.

"Are we really just going to walk into town like this? Just like we're old buddies going for a stroll, you in a torn shirt and Po and I talking about food? Aren't people going to be suspicious?"

"Yeah…a good point…" Po said, eyeing the leopard.

Tai Lung didn't like that look at all; he also didn't like how Dalang was looking at him. "What are you implying…?"

"Dalang's got a point," Po said, rolling up his proverbial sleeves. "You went looking for the Dragon Warrior to fight him, and you got him right here. He accepts your challenge."

"Oh come on, that was just an act!" he laughed nervously.

"And you think they'll buy it if _you _come into town completely unscathed?" Dalang asked.

Oh dear. Oh _crap_. _That's_ what that look was. Oh hell.

"N-now wait a second," Tai Lung tried talking his way out of it. "This is going a little too far, don't you think?"

"No, I think using you as a punching bag is a great plan," Dalang said, cracking his knuckles. "See, stress builds up pretty easily for us, and we need an outlet…"

"We won't be really _harsh_; we just need to make it look _believable_," Po said with a smirk.

Seeing that they were perfectly serious, Tai Lung sighed and stood back, standing straight and tall like a convicted man facing a firing squad. All he needed was the blindfold and the last cigarette. He also discarded the torn shirt, figuring it wouldn't be missed. "Alright, if it's the only thing that will work… Just one request?"

"What's that?" Po asked.

"Not in the face."

* * *

They certainly attracted a lot of attention from the villagers as they ran back into town. Po and Tai Lung put on a very convincing show for the villagers, who all gazed in wonder at the pair of fighters as they engaged in a second epic battle. Many noted that the leopard looked like a wreck, but the panda was completely unscathed. He truly was the Dragon Warrior!

Yet Tai Lung was getting in his fair amount of hits. Unfortunately, Po's still-massive bulk repelled each strike, sending the leopard back a few paces; Po gave as good as he got, and better. One particularly harsh punch sent the leopard flying backwards, landing hard on the ground. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his shoulder, but he guessed it was from the earlier battle with Dalang's brother.

He panted, the exhaustion and fatigue certainly _not_ an act and he stood back up, swaying on his feet. He realized they were back in front of Aunt Wu's, and all of the diners and wait staff—including Su Lin, Mei Xing, and Aunt Wu herself—were watching in shock.

Showtime.

"You can't defeat me…again!" he said, swaying towards the panda. "You're just a…"

"Big fat panda?"

"Yes, that."

"Come on, Tai Lung, your arm is broken, I'm pretty sure you've twisted if not sprained that ankle, you've got cuts and bruises all over your…oh wow, and there's a huge splinter in your back!"

Tai Lung turned and saw he was right—that wasn't an act either. He must have gotten it when he fell. "Oh what, that? It's only a flesh wound."

"Flesh wound?! There's a foot-long splinter in your back and you're bleeding like crazy!"

"I've had worse."

"Dude…seriously, you're losing a lot of blood…" he sounded worried.

"I can still take you…oof!" he winced and fell to the ground after Po punched him in the stomach. _Did he need to punch so hard? That bleedin' _hurt!

The leopard looked up at the panda, then spied what he looked like in a polished mirror a vendor was selling. Jeez, he looked like hell. And now that he thought about it, he _was_ feeling a little dizzy…

"Alright, we'll call it a draw…" he said weakly, holding up a finger for emphasis, then slumped forward. If the bleeding didn't clot soon, he was going to pass out; he didn't want to repeat that anytime soon.

Wu was by his side in a heartbeat, checking his pulse. She called to the villagers, "Quick, someone get a doctor!"

"Why should we?" someone demanded. "He's a dangerous criminal!"

"No he's not!" a familiar voice rang out. Tai Lung felt little hands on his shoulder, trying to shake him. Baby Fu yelled, "Kitty! KITTY! Mama, Kitty hurt!"

Fu's mother stood tall in opposition to the pig who had spoken up. "That _criminal_ saved my baby's life not an hour and a half ago! He's a hero!"

"She's right," a goose said, "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes!"

"It was amazing," a duck said, "The way he defended that little child…he _is_ a hero!"

Po knelt down next to Tai Lung, and the leopard discovered that he wasn't the only good actor in their ruse.

"You…you saved this kid?" the panda said, sending him a furtive wink.

"What's it to you?" he slurred, returning the wink with a quick nod. Oh he wasn't feeling well at all. Fu's mother called for a doctor again, and finally a goose stepped forward and examined the leopard.

"Great merciful heavens!" he exclaimed. "You look like someone used you as a punching bag! Oh, and that splinter looks deep…"

"I don't need specifics, doc," he muttered, his vision fading in and out of blackness.

The goose turned to Aunt Wu, "Do you have a spare room by any chance?"

Wu couldn't believe her luck; one look in the leopard's and panda's faces told her that this had all been planned out. She was so happy she could have kissed both of them.

She nodded graciously. "Of course, right at the top of the stairs. Hurry, lets carry him up!"

Tai Lung felt Po hoist him up and practically drag him inside, asking, "Which room?"

"First door on the left, dear."

He and the leopard were ahead of the crowd, and Po sent the leopard a wink and thumbs up. Tai Lung smirked and closed his eyes, hearing Aunt Wu explaining to the doctor, "Well of course he can stay here while he recovers! Its not like we'll run out of food! And besides, he saved that sweet little baby's life—how could I turn him away?"

He almost laughed at the irony.

And so happened the "official" return of a reformed Tai Lung to the Valley of Peace.

* * *

Please review! I could always use pick-me-ups at work!


	16. Contracts and Confessions

Standard Disclaimers apply.

For those who were lost on the classic comedic references: in the scene where Huang dies and Tai Lung freaks out, he is quoting John Cleese's lines from the infamous Dead Parrot sketch of Monty Python fame (most of you caught this one immediately. "Ex-Tiger" for the win). In the scene with the body in the cart, that is a nod to a scene Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" where Gene Wilder's character uses the monster's arm as his own while he's talking to a police officer, with Igor (pronounced _Eye-_gore in the movie) in the background. And of course, "it's only a flesh wound" refers to the black knight in the immortal Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

* * *

Chapter 15: Contracts and Confessions

* * *

Tai Lung woke up instantly, feeling the presence of a few creatures in his room. Cracking one eye open, he saw Aunt Wu, Po, and Su Lin sitting in chairs by his bed, all three pandas beaming; Aunt Wu looked the proudest by far.

"So," she said. "I understand someone is a hero."

"Apparently," he croaked. He made a face at the sound of his voice, "Why do I have this feeling of deja vu?"

Su Lin was sunnier than usual, practically bouncing in her seat and squealing with delight. "EE! Tai Lung, we're so proud of you! The whole village is talking about you, and people have been coming by, bringing gifts…"

"Gifts?" he asked, the concept completely foreign to him.

Po rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah…I got a lot of that after I defeated you. They were really grateful and stuff, but still…"

Tai Lung tried to wrap his mind around the notion. "The villagers…are bringing me gifts. The villagers. People who are supposed to fear me, hate me, and scorn me…are giving me _gifts_?"

"Yup."

"Have they lost their minds?!"

Wu shrugged, "If they have, well, you've got free food, money and new clothes to show for it!"

Su grinned, picking up some folded clothes, "Which reminds me! I finished these the day you were injured…"

"Today you mean."

The other three stared at him a moment. He was beginning to hate stares in general. "What?"

"Um…wow," Po said. "You uh…I guess you lost a lot more blood than we thought."

"Tai Lung," Wu said, "You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past three days. You were feverish for a time too. So hot to the touch, we feared you were dying!"

Su Lin looked pale, "It was like after finding you on the mountain, all over again. We really thought we'd lose you."

"If this is going to become a pattern, I'm not amused," he muttered.

Su Lin decided to change the subject, and handed him the clothes, "Well, here they are anyway."

"Hold them up, dear," Wu said. "I don't think he can try them on just yet."

"Not unless we give him enough alcohol to make the pain go away," Po smirked.

Tai Lung returned the smirk, "I like your thinking! This panda's all right!"

The women rolled their eyes and Su Lin held up the first shirt; Tai Lung felt his heart melt. She had bought him cotton, linen and silk—silk!—and this first shirt was made of dark blue cotton with a batik bamboo design, the edges hemmed with black silk. There were four white shirts to replace the one he'd lost, two cotton, two linen, for the hot summer days. Then she showed him two silk shirts she'd found and altered to fit: one was black with a gold dragon coiling up each sleeve, and the second was a red silk shirt with the symbol for happiness on the back.

"I also made some trousers for you—I didn't know how you felt about brighter colors, so I mostly stuck to black, brown, and dark blue. I wasn't sure if you were a fan of green or not…"

Tai Lung sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. The panda froze, surprised by the sudden action. "T-Tai…?"

"I don't deserve this," he said. "I don't deserve you, your kindness, or anyone's kindness."

Wu and Po shared a look, and Wu smiled, "If I didn't know any better…that sounded a lot like humility to me."

"It's not humility," he stated. "I'm just being realistic."

"No," Po said. "I think you're being humble."

"No I'm not."

"Denying it isn't going to help your case."

"And owning up to it doesn't make me humble at all."

Wu shrugged, "He's got a point…and now, he has a new wardrobe too!"

Mei Xing knocked on the door and poked her head in, "Aunt? He's also got a lot of visitors. Should I let them in?"

Wu looked to the leopard, "Feeling up to it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then bring it on."

The first person to file in was the goose doctor, who checked the wounds and bruises, and prescribed medicine to fight infection. "Its my guess why you were out for so long—those wounds you got from your fight with that tiger got infected, and goodness knows it could have been a lot worse."

"And the splinter?"

The goose laughed, "If you can call it that! It might as well have been a log—but, nothing a little surgery couldn't fix."

"I was in surgery?!"

"Mrs. Wu didn't tell you?"

Tai Lung sent a glare to the red panda, who avoided his gaze, whistling innocently. How he hated that habit of hers!

A few other citizens filed in, paying respects—most of them he recognized as being there when he'd fought Jiao Huang. Then he heard a little squeal.

"KITTY!"

"Oh no…"

Baby Fu nearly toppled out of his mother's arms to get to the leopard; the leopard winced and bit down hard on his lip to keep from crying out as the baby rabbit landed right on top of one of his wounds. Instead of violently reacting, he held in his temper—while his claws dug into the mattress—and the baby hugged and nuzzled him, saying "good kitty" over and over. The mother rabbit smiled at him as she stepped forward. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm living the dream," he said mordantly, Fu still tumbling, cooing and playing with his new "kitty". She chuckled, "I can see that. You look better now than you did three days ago."

"Thanks…I think."

She reached into the basket she'd brought with her, setting Fu in Po's lap to keep the leveret from causing trouble. "I brought a little something to show my gratitude…"

"I wish you hadn't. I don't deserve to be treated this way."

"You saved the life of my only child—I need to repay you somehow!"

"You should at least hear her out," Wu suggested. "It would be rude to turn her away."

Tai Lung took the hint and sighed, leaning back and waiting patiently. The mother took out something wrapped in cloth and handed it to him. "I remember people saying you wore something similar to these when you…erm, returned, the last time." He noticed she had diplomatically not mentioned he had been defeated; he was grateful for that.

When he pulled away the cloth, he was stunned.

"I heard indigo was your favorite," she explained when he didn't answer right away.

"It still is," he said softly.

She beamed as his fingers traced over the indigo trousers that appeared to have been made completely from scratch. She reached over and snapped off a loose thread; she smiled hopefully, her wide brown eyes imploring, "I know now you probably have more clothes than you know what to do with, but…"

"Thank you."

"Sorry?"

"Thank you," he repeated. "I'm still not sure I deserve this, but I still…I appreciate it." He sent her a smile, which she returned. "That whole 'saving lives' thing is still just a fluke."

"Of course it is," she said with a knowing smile. She didn't say anything else.

* * *

A couple days later, he was moving around with ease, taking it easy with stretching and training. After five total days of bed rest—two of which he was conscious—he began training with Po again. At first, the two just sparred in the usual meeting place, but quickly slowed down when the leopard tired easily. Po kept telling him to take it easy, that there was no rush, and no impending crisis to worry about.

"Of course there's a crisis; I'll be damned if I ever end up as fat as you!"

This, of course, lacked the sting that would have accompanied the comment just a year before; before both of them realized it, they were both enjoying each other's company. Not that anyone else noticed—they still thought that the insults being hurled back and forth were signs of another battle to come.

A week after that, the doctor stated that Tai Lung was well enough to not need antibiotics anymore "but I'd still like to see you for regular check-ups, just in case". On that day, Wu decided the time was right to let him out, or, more accurately, to give him total and unadulterated freedom she had been planning for over a year.

"So why does he have to come with _me?_" Mei Xing whined. "You know we can't stand each other!"

"You have errands to run for the restaurant," Wu said. "And a little fresh air and exercise will do him some good." She said this within hearing shot of the other workers, and all of them with exception to the snow leopard and panda females had no idea that the former felon had been living upstairs the whole time.

Tai Lung came down the stairs into the kitchen, eliciting stares from the wait staff, and even Mei Xing, who commented on the white linen shirt and indigo trousers: "Not bad. You don't look like a freak."

"Charming, that's exactly what you are: charming."

"You have the list?" Wu asked the female leopard. She nodded, pulling out a folded piece of paper from inside her bodice. "It's all right here…"

"And you'll make a stop to get fruit, will you not?" Now that Wu was privy to Po and Tai Lung's nighttime excursions, "stopping to get fruit" was code for the secret training place. She intended now that her girls get at least an hour of training every morning, so they would be prepared for the worst. Mei Xing looked pale and a little nauseous at the thought of being alone with the other leopard, but hid it well.

"Yeah, we'll pop in for a minute or two…"

Wu smiled. "Good. Well, enjoy yourselves, don't do anything I wouldn't."

* * *

"HIYA!" she cried as she punched his palm.

"Better," Tai Lung said. "You feet were in the right place, but your arm fell this time, you need to keep it up in front of your chest to block a potential attack."

Mei Xing stepped back, clad in just a pair of trousers and a tank top. Her robe and sash were cast to the side so they wouldn't get dirty during their hour. She had run the obstacle course Po had constructed while Tai Lung was recovering, and, much to his surprise (and pleasure), Mei had run the course during his absence until she performed it flawlessly. What she lacked in acrobatics, she made up for in speed.

Unfortunately, the leopard also learned very quickly that while women naturally had less upper body strength…getting kicked by a woman _hurt_. Worse than being kicked by a man; much worse, since a woman's power was in her lower body. He learned that lesson when Mei had performed a roundhouse kick to his stomach when she felt he'd touched her inappropriately.

"And for the last time, I was _not_ trying to grope you!"

"Your hands were on my hips!"

"That's not groping! I was helping you down from that high shelf—there's a difference!"

"You think I couldn't do it myself?"

"I was trying to be polite, but apparently I can't do that with you—every time I try to be nice, you blow up in my face!"

"I'd be nicer if I knew _why_ you were trying to be nice!"

"I don't need an ulterior motive for everything I do. _I am not your damn husband!_"

Mei stopped, staring at the ground, then she sat down on a rock. Now he regretted yelling, and especially for bringing _him_ up.

"Look, I'm sorry…"

"No, I am," she said, her voice quivering. "I just can't stop thinking about it. He hurt me so much, I'm afraid of every man I meet. I can't help but think that, what if that man intends to hurt me? If I make a mistake, will he hit me?"

"I've never raised a finger to you."

"And that's what worries me," she said, locking gazes with him. "Most men I can figure out; most men have an ulterior motive. But since I met you…you haven't tried anything, you've never taken advantage of me, never showed an interest in it. I can't figure you out, and that's what scares me, because I can't predict what you'll do next."

"To be honest, all women confuse the hell out of me—you most of all."

She cracked a smile, sad though it was. "I keep having nightmares."

"Me too," he found himself confessing, kneeling in front of her.

She looked at him, pausing. "About prison?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

"Oh do you?" he snapped, his claws digging into the ground. "You know what it's like to be chained down, immobilized, left with nothing but maddening silence, with only your own thoughts to keep you company, darkness, the clank of steel and armor, crackling of torches so far out of your reach? You know what its like to be forced to bow down to a cruel task master, who _delights_ in seeing you bleed?! Someone who turns his eye to torture, and lets his own men ra—" his voice caught in his throat, and he stood frozen in place. He'd almost said it, he'd almost admitted it. Maybe she'd let the matter drop.

She didn't. She stared back at him in horror; she knew what happened to him. She was the only living person who knew what happened to him in Chor-Ghom.

"That commander…"

"Vachir," he spit out the name like a curse.

"Vachir, he…" she trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper. "He...did _that_…to _you_?"

He felt his body shaking uncontrollably as he relived those painful memories, and he collapsed on the packed-earth training floor, staring into space. He spoke, his voice sounding disembodied to his ears.

"No…he was sick, but not depraved. He…he let some of his soldiers in. He couldn't tolerate _it_ in his own ranks, but if they took out their…_frustrations_ on a motionless criminal no one cared about…he was perfectly alright with it. That's why I'm glad he's dead…he could have stopped it, but he didn't. He tried to break my spirit—he was afraid of me, I know that now—he tried to break my spirit, so he could stop fearing me."

"This…abuse, did it last all twenty years?" she asked, her voice gentle, her tone indicating she didn't want to pry.

"It lasted as long as I fought it. When I gave up fighting, they stopped being interested. I…I wanted to shut down. Sometimes, I can still feel them on my skin," he closed his eyes, shuddering, running his claws over his arms. "It was hell…I wanted to die. The only thing that kept me going was the scroll, and getting revenge."

"One out of two ain't bad," she said. She looked at him for a long moment, sighed, then knelt in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He returned her hug as tightly as he dared, wrapping his arms around her skinny body. He realized he needed this. He needed this more than he could have ever imagined.

"It may not help much," she said, "but I do know exactly how you feel. But you got closure for it…I never did."

"If that bastard ever finds you," he murmured, "I'll kill him."

"You don't have to."

"I know. But we're both victims of the same crime…it's the principle of the thing."

She pulled away and looked into his eyes; tears were brimming in her own. "If it's _possible_ to rape one's wife…technically, my body belonged to him; I was a possession to do whatever he wanted with."

His voice was hard, "Rape is rape, and no still means no; I don't care what those damn laws say."

She smiled a little, resting her head on his shoulder; she couldn't explain what she was feeling in that moment, as she had never felt this way around a man before. The closest she knew was that this felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold night. Mei's heart skipped a beat; she felt _safe_. She felt safe with him, and in her mind, that was dangerous.

She jumped away from him, surprising the both of them with her reaction. Mei Xing took a couple deep breaths to steady herself, then she said, "We should get back, before it gets too late. We still need to get spices and medicine for Su Lin…"

The moment utterly shattered, he nodded, "Fine. Feel free to use me as a pack mule," he offered, helping her stand.

"What makes you think I wasn't planning that all along?" she smirked. He smiled when her back was turned.

Well, if they weren't friends by the definition of the word, they had certainly hit a very important milestone. Their shared experiences were an unorthodox thing to have in common, he had to admit, but there was some comfort in knowing there was someone else who understood.

And she did, now that he thought about it. She may not have been in literal chains, but she had been as much a prisoner to The Bastard (as he had begun referring to him in his journal) as Tai Lung had been prisoner to Vachir. She may not have had the tortoise shell on her back, with poles pressing against pressure points to keep her from moving, but the fear she felt was just as paralyzing; the fear of staying, but also the fear of leaving. For all he knew, her escape could have been as extraordinary as his own. From what little he knew, he could gather this much: leopards may never change their spots, but somehow since running away to freedom, Mei Xing had become a completely different person from the scared battered woman she had been, to the sassy, strong woman she'd grown to be.

And he didn't mind it one bit.

* * *

By the time they got to the marketplace, the villagers would have sworn that the two leopards were an item, the way they were laughing and joking with each other. Closer inspection taught the various fowl, rabbits and swine that the shared sense of humor was…morbid, and that was putting it kindly.

"Are you serious?!" she nearly howled with laughter. "That's horrible!"

"You're the one who's laughing!" he grinned. "I mean seriously: 'Bring out your dead!'."

"You're going to hell for that."

"Madam, I've got a lease on beachfront property by the River of Eternity; I've known for quite awhile where I'm going!"

She laughed and stopped by the spice merchant, running down the list. Tai Lung stood back to let her do her work, but could overhear snatches of conversation. She surprised him by being especially good at haggling—this one was a smart shopper.

"Come _on_ lady, I'm not going that low—this saffron came all the way from India!"

"Yeah, and it looks like it. It's so _not_ fresh I wouldn't pay a single mou for it!"

"Then don't buy it!"

"Don't you snap at me!" she shot back.

Tai Lung smirked; now that he wasn't arguing with her, he could fully appreciate how much of a spitfire she really was. Where it came from, he couldn't say. But she had an attitude, and wasn't afraid to use it. He liked that.

Finally making her purchase, they carried on, both feeling the numerous eyes on their backs.

"People are staring at us," she said uneasily.

"No, they're staring at _me,_" he corrected.

"They're going to start talking—I can only imagine what they must think looking at us right now."

"They're thinking 'here is the great Tai Lung, and he is being dragged around on a shopping trip like a dog on a leash by that short spitfire of a leopardess'."

"Or they could just be afraid of you."

"Or that."

As they walked, they found the air becoming thicker with the smells of medicinal ingredients, and fumes from nearby blacksmith shops. The heavy clanging of hammers against anvils and vendors hawking their wares filled the air, that Tai Lung almost missed Mei Xing's horrified scream.

He turned, spying another male leopard grabbing her roughly. "OI!" he snapped, snatching her away from him. "_What_ is your problem?!"

"You get your hands off of her, you slimy son of a—!" the other leopard seethed.

"Actually, I think that's supposed to be _my _line…"

The smaller, less muscular—and fatter—snow leopard pointed at Mei Xing, who was cowering behind Tai Lung's back. "By law, that _whore_ belongs to me!"

Tai Lung looked behind him into Mei's terrified eyes. "I don't see a whore," he quipped.

"That woman is my wife!"

The former felon stopped, thinking quickly, then turned back to face the one he referred to as The Bastard. "Ahh…so _you_ are the abusive rapist of a husband. Enchanted, utterly enchanted to meet you."

The older leopard snarled at the insult, "You watch your mouth, punk, you don't know who you're talking to."

Tai Lung bit back on a laugh at the irony. "No, I don't think I do…"

"I am the headman of the largest village in Dian! I have enough power to bend the will of the Emperor himself," he bragged. Tai Lung wondered if he had ever sounded so ridiculous when being boastful; he really hoped he hadn't.

"And you have a claim to this woman?" Tai Lung said.

"Yes," the other said, grinding his teeth. "And I have the proof right here!" he pulled out a scroll and held it up like a sacred object.

"And that is…?"

"My marriage contract," Mei whispered, still fearful.

"Ah. Interesting. Might I have a look…"

"Why do I care what you think?" the Bastard demanded. "You're just a lowly, flea-ridden peasant—"

"Yoink!" He snatched it out of his hand.

"Hey!"

Tai Lung held out one arm, his palm planted firmly on the shorter leopard's forehead, literally holding him at arm's length. He cast a dubious eye over the other male, then turned to Mei Xing, "Looks like he lost the lottery on looks, didn't he?"

She chuckled nervously. He snapped open the scroll, allowing it to open fully. "Take the bottom, would you? Thanks."

"What are you looking for?" she asked, her eyes skimming over the official document, her gaze resting on her parents' signatures at the bottom.

"I'm looking for where it says he has a legal right to beat you or kill you."

"If he does?"

"Then I kill _him_, like I promised."

"But…"

Tai Lung's eyes skimmed over something, then he went back to reread it. He muttered the words out, then a slow, sly smile stretched over his lips.

"Mei Xing, my dear," he said with a disarmingly sweet tone, and loud enough for the waiting crowd—and The Bastard—to hear. "It would appear that under Section 3, Subsection A, that 'should the party of the second part'—that's you—'for whatever reason abandon the party of the second part'—that would be the 'dearly beloved' hubby here—'the party of the first part has legal right to a) forcibly return party of the second part to their domicile; b) use forceful action against her; or c) end her life, should this occur more than three times'.

"However, Sub-subsection C states that 'should the party of the second part succeed in abandoning the party of the first part, and in doing so leave the boundaries of the province within which the marriage was legalized, then the party of the first part no longer has legal right over her. Should the party of the second part leave the territory where the marriage took place—for _any_ reason—_the marriage contract is_ _null and void'_," he emphasized, annunciating every word.

Mei's expression was unreadable for a moment, then she gasped, staring at Tai Lung. "That…that means…"

Tai Lung smirked triumphantly, "That means you're not married to him."

"WHAT?" the Bastard roared. Tai Lung finally let him go, side-stepping to avoid the smaller leopard smashing into him. The warrior shrugged, handing Mei the contract. "I'll let you do what you want with that, since it's been voided now."

Without hesitating, she gleefully tore it to shreds, scattering the pieces in the wind. With those torn pieces floating away, she could feel the fear, anger and pain floating away to distant places she would never see, lost forever. For the first time since before her marriage, she smiled.

"NO!" her now ex-husband roared, but it was too late. Everyone watching knew he had lost; sadly, he was not so intelligent. He strode forward, whipping out a glove and backhanding Tai Lung with it.

"I refuse to give up! I demand satisfaction!"

Tai Lung looked around the crowd that had gathered—they all appeared to agree with him, that this fat, loud leopard was out of his damn mind. He looked behind him at a vendor's stand, saw something he could use to his advantage, and smiled. He turned back, picking up the object in his hand, hidden behind his back.

"You demand satisfaction…" he said. "For the woman?"

"For the woman."

Tai Lung shrugged. "Alright then." Then he returned the other male's backhand with a heavy iron gauntlet. The leopard fell instantly, turning a few times before hitting the ground. There was no damage to the gauntlet, fortunately, but the same couldn't be said for Mei Xing's ex-husband.

Tai Lung turned to her, tossing the gauntlet up and down like a ball in his hand. "So, is the lady satisfied?"

Mei Xing bit her lip, then walked over to her ex-husband, kneeling in front of him. He looked back at her, his expression telling her he expected mercy. Mercy from the woman he had kicked around, beaten, violated, and abused for ten years.

Without further hesitation, she yanked him up to his feet, then delivered the hardest punch she'd ever thrown. Tai Lung and the villagers all winced when they heard the crunching bones in the other leopard's face, and the loud thud as his body was propelled backwards, hitting a wall hard.

Mei Xing took a deep breath, turned back to Tai Lung with a grin on her face, "Okay, _now_ I'm satisfied."

"Then so am I." He placed the gauntlet back on the vendor's table, handing the duck a gold coin for his trouble. "Thanks, mate, I owe you one."

"Uh, sure," he stammered, taken aback by what he'd witnessed. "Um, sir? What just happened?"

Tai Lung shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine, I haven't the foggiest." He turned to look at Mei Xing, and smiled at her. She looked so…happy. Happy, carefree at last. He envied her a little bit. She was happy; he still had a long way to go. She surprised him again by turning to him with a grin, saying, "That felt good."

"I bet it did."

"We'd better finish shopping before the market closes."

He paused, then nodded, thinking about how quickly she had moved on. "Sure. What's left?"

"Su's list of herbs for her healing business, then we can head back home."

Home. That sounded nice. That sounded very nice, indeed. He offered her his arm which she took graciously. "Lead the way, my lady," he joked.

She laughed, "Feeling chivalrous today, are we?"

"A bit, maybe."

She waited until they came to a quieter street before stopping him, then throwing her arms around his neck. He felt her hot tears sinking into his shirt. "Mei…?"

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you…I'm free because of you. I'm free!"

"No," he corrected, looking at her, and making sure she saw the sincerity in his expression. "That was all you. You were the one brave enough to run away. You were the one to make it this far on your own. You were the one who…" he smirked, "gave that sorry sod the _best_ punch I've ever seen."

She grinned and wiped away her grateful tears of joy, her heart swelling with pride. "Really?"

"You _crunched the bones in his face_," he shook his head, smiling. "You might not have a lot of muscle, but _that_ was well-played!"

"Well, I had a good teacher," she pointed out.

He felt his cheeks grow hot; was he blushing again? Damn it, he was! "Alright stop that, _stop that_!"

"Stop what, feeding your already massive ego?"

"You're going the right way for a smacked bottom, cheeky."

"You _wish_," she teased, arching an eyebrow before walking off.

His jaw hung open at the verbal hit. Okay, he decided. So women aren't as physically strong as men…but damn if they're not good at delivering psychological blows.

"Was that well-played too?" she asked.

"I will not dignify that with an answer."

Mei Xing smirked to herself. She'd won.

* * *

Aunt Wu sat in her usual spot at the front of the restaurant, sipping herbal tea and going over the finances for the business. Business was doing very well lately, she saw, attributing it to the villagers' interest in catching a glimpse of Tai Lung. His notoriety was enough to bring _everyone_ calling, even her business rival Mr. Ping. She had nothing against the goose—except that he beat her at mahjong every Thursday night—and their weekly get-togethers were otherwise enjoyable and friendly.

She took another sip of tea, sliding a few beads across her abacus. The red panda closed her eyes as the mixture of rose hips, orange peel and licorice root touched her tongue, a tangy and yet delightfully sweet drink. When she set the teacup down, she saw Shifu and the Furious Five—minus Po—standing in front of her.

None of them looked happy.

"I know your orders came late last time," she said. "I said I was sorry."

"Where is he?" Shifu demanded.

"Who, Dalang?"

"Him too," Tigress growled. Wu had a sinking feeling that the Tiger Master wanted to have a word with her cook, and that in all likelihood if she allowed it, her cook would be out of commission for quite awhile by the time Tigress was done with him.

"Dalang is in the kitchen, of course. As for the _other_ person you're looking for, he's out with Mei Xing. They should be back soon, if you wished to talk."

"He's not the one I want to speak to right now," Shifu said icily, staring her down. She returned it, an open challenge.

"This is hardly the time or place, Shifu," she said, intentionally dropping the honorific title.

"Then step outside, Lien," he growled.

Wu inwardly seethed at him, but hopped down from her stool, tucking her fan in her sash. She looked at the Furious Five, and spotted Crane, who looked the most composed of the group. "Help yourself to whatever you feel like eating," she said as a peace offering. "It will all be on the house."

Crane knew what she was up to, and he had to agree with her—but his experience with his teammates told him that they were less likely to kill someone if they had full stomachs. "Thank you, we shall."

"Seat yourself wherever, there's no wait right now."

"Thank you."

Wu followed Shifu outside, and she led him around the corner to the vegetable garden when Dalang and Su Lin grew vegetables and some herbs. Sitting on a stone bench, she offered the seat next to her. He silently refused.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he demanded.

"I know exactly what I'm doing."

"He's dangerous and you know it!"

"You seem to know exactly who I am, don't you?"

"Of course I know who you are, _Wu Lien_…" he narrowed his eyes, which had turned silvery blue in his barely suppressed rage. "And I know what you've been hiding for the past year!"

"And if you knew the whole story, you would never blame me!"

"I don't need to know the whole story!" he yelled. "If you knew exactly what you were getting into—"

Her face contorted in rage, and she yelled back, "He's been here for over a year, and he hasn't killed anyone, destroyed property, or done ANY damage whatsoever! Not two weeks ago, he even saved an innocent from almost certain death. How do you explain that, Shifu? Tell me, how do you explain THAT?"

He couldn't. He realized he could not explain why his ward had done that. He offered his own theory: "He's taking advantage of you," he warned. "He's taking advantage of your kindness, and he _will_ kill you if given the chance!"

Wu threw her hands up in the air in surrender. "_Aiya_! Must all Dogs be so stubborn and vengeful!"

"I am not vengeful!"

"You came all this way to yell in my face and accuse me of conspiracy, and accuse him—your own son—of harboring ulterior motives!"

"He is not my son!"

"YOU _RAISED_ HIM, YOU STUPID ASS!" she shrieked, shaking with anger. "You put a roof over his head, clothes on his back, you took him in after his birth father was killed—you saw the body, didn't you?" she accused. "You saw the body and knew exactly who that was. What did you do with it, Shifu? Where is Sonam buried?!"

Now he looked completely at a loss. "Sonam?"

"The snow leopard who left his son—your Tai Lung—on your doorstep! He was trying to save him from the Jiao Clan, and Sonam was killed in the process! Where is he buried?!" she demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"What did you find outside your gates the next morning?" she snarled. "Did you see a rotting corpse?"

He thought back to that night, forty years ago, then managed to recall something… "Master Oogway…he said he'd had a vision, and told me to look outside. By a tree, I saw blood on the ground, staining the bark and rocks. It looked like…someone had been dragged away."

Wu's heart sank, and tears stung her eyes; there was no mistaking his tone, he was telling the truth. "Heaven help him…ancestors, bless him…" she whispered.

"You knew Tai Lung's father?"

Wu looked at Shifu and nodded, bidding him to sit. "Please, you need to know everything, before you talk to him."

"Why should I trust anything you say?"

"Master to master," she said. "There is honor between us. Besides, who else is there to trust?"

Grudgingly, he sat next to her. She snapped open her fan, and told him everything she knew.

* * *

Tai Lung visibly gulped when he saw the Furious Five sitting at a round table in the front of the restaurant. All five pairs of eyes were glaring at him, and if looks could kill, he'd have been dead five times over.

"Have you been served?" Mei Xing asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"We're not hungry," Tigress said, "But tea would suffice."

Mei narrowed her eyes. "Are you always this rude? It's a wonder what Dalang sees in you."

Tigress shot back, "By the way, tell him if he's done hiding back in the kitchen that we need to talk."

"Tell him yourself, _sweetheart_," the female leopard sneered. Tai Lung grasped her upper arm, squeezing hard enough to warn her to stop. Mei turned to him, "Something wrong?"

"I…I'm not feeling well. I'm going to go lie down."

"Okay, do you need anything?" she actually sounded worried.

"Actually, could you show me where I could find an extra blanket?"

"But you know—ow!" she glared when he pinched her. Then she realized what he was trying to do. "Oh, right, right, sure, let me show you. Tigress, you go ahead and see Dalang, he'll be in his usual space."

The two leopards made a hasty exit as Tigress got up to corner her target. Once the two were safely upstairs, Tai Lung hissed, "Do _not_ do that ever again! She's not someone to piss off."

"She was pissing _me_ off, and that's just as dangerous."

"She knows seventy-five different ways to kill you—I wouldn't press your luck."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Look, I've got a very short fuse…"

"Shorter than you are?"

"Shut up. You know I have very little patience for stupid people."

"That's true. Wait…" he stopped, sending her a suspicious glare. "What's that saying about me?"

"What are _you_ saying about you?"

"Don't change the subject, woman! I myself have little patience for that!"

"So I guess we shouldn't try to save Dalang?" she asked. "Tigress looked _pissed._"

"Dalang is a big boy, he can take care of himself," he said. "He's the son of Jiao Shen, and he's already killed two men. I think he's got that on her."

Mei Xing stared at him incredulously. "Are you seriously just brushing him off, just like that?"

"Are you saying I'm mistaken?"

"Well, _yeah_," she said. "Dalang keeps things close to the chest, but he's not leading her along."

"You don't honestly think he loves her, do you?"

"I don't know—I wouldn't know what love is if it bit me in the ass," she said crassly. "But he's crazy about her—he doesn't stop talking about her, and I bet he doesn't stop thinking of her either. He hasn't seen her since you got into that fight with his brother."

His eyes widened. "They've gone two weeks without seeing each other?"

"He avoided her at first, but that was the worst thing he could have done. He didn't think she'd want to see him since you were staying here."

He froze, then looked down the stairs towards the kitchen. In all likelihood, Tigress didn't know that he had been living there in secret for almost a year and a half, or that Dalang had murdered two of his own relatives—and apparently had no qualms with it—or that the chef just happened to share a bloodline with one of the most notorious and feared generals in China's history. And knowing Dalang, he'd buckle like an old man getting kicked in the knees if and when she demanded answers. Tigress was going to _kill_ him.

"He's dead."

"Yeah, pretty much. Oak or cedar?"

"What?"

"I'm trying to decide the best wood for his coffin."

"Cedar all the way—it won't stink as bad."

* * *

While the leopards were prematurely planning his funeral, Dalang was oblivious to the fact that the object to his affections—whom, he had to admit, he was avoiding for fear of a meltdown—was currently standing behind him, arms crossed, waiting for him to realize he was being watched.

Dalang felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, then felt eyes boring into the back of his head. He turned to look over his shoulder and jumped back, catching the back of his shirt on fire. He struggled to get the flames out, but Tigress grabbed a handy bucket of water and tossed the contents on top of him.

A now thoroughly soaked tiger chef stared helplessly at her, and he remembered what people said about hell and scorned women.

"Um, hi," he said lamely. "Thanks for helping me with that…"

"Why are you avoiding me?" she demanded. If there was one thing he liked—no, loved—about her, she did not beeline around an issue.

"I…I didn't think…"

"No, clearly you didn't," she said coldly. Her eyes were burning like coals as she interrogated him. "Master Shifu told us his suspicions, and now that I think on it, it all makes sense."

Dalang stopped her. "Okay, not here, though. We'll talk in private…I promise." He called a goose over and told him to take over on the stove before leading Tigress up the stairs to his room. He offered her a seat on his bedroll, and she silently refused, choosing to stand with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Dalang took a deep breath and began,

"Okay, I'm going to start off by saying I have been a complete, and unmitigated ass."

"I'll say."

"I didn't mean to lie to you," he said, looking at her. "In fact, there's a lot I've withheld from you."

"How many?"

"What?"

"How many other girls have there been?"

"Um, that's not what I meant…"

"Then what is it?!"

"The truth about where I came from…and what I've done. Look, this is going to be really hard to hear, and if you want to leave at any time, just do it, I won't stop you."

His words sounded cold to her ears. "Did you ever care about me?"

"I'm getting to that."

"Tell me NOW, Dalang!" she demanded. "TELL ME."

"YES!" he yelled. "Yes, I just so happen to give a damn about you! Why? Because you are my last chance! You are my last hope for a normal life!"

She looked at him, completely confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Tigress, there's a lot I need to get off my chest, so, if its alright with you, I'm just going to get it out." He took a deep breath to steady himself and finally confessed: "It's true, Tai Lung has been staying here the whole past year since the Wu Xi finger hold thing because Aunt Wu felt that he could be redeemed, because _I_ had been redeemed because I killed someone—well, two people, now—both members of my own family, my uncle and my brother, and the reason I have no problem in killing them is because my real name is Jiao Dalang, and my father is Jiao Shen, and I am a member of the Jiao Clan, and I have no problem killing anyone in my family because they are horrible, horrible people."

He was panting for breath after that quick and dirty confession, and was feeling sick to his stomach. Dalang felt like his stomach had been twisted into knots; she wasn't saying anything. _Say something_, he prayed. _I don't care if you yell, insult me, or anything. Just say something!_

She didn't say anything. She just stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face. Finally, she whispered. "J-Jiao…you're a Jiao…"

"Not officially," he stated. "I was disowned, because I refused to kill someone my father ordered me to. I was seventeen at the time." He worded his sentences carefully, knowing that the wrong word when taken out of context could ruin everything.

"You lied to me," she said quietly.

"I didn't think it would matter, because Jiao isn't my real name anymore. But that tiger that Tai Lung defeated…that was my brother Huang. If he made it to the valley, that means my father and his army isn't far behind…I lied to you in the past, I know that, so this is my one and only chance to make things right. I'm not lying to you anymore."

"How do I know?" she asked, her voice wavering. "How can I trust you? You killed two people!"

"You had to have killed someone," he pointed out. "You fought off armies with your friends…"

"This isn't about me!" she snapped, shaking. "You lied to me, this whole time, you lied to me! I trusted you, Dalang!" she yelled. "I _trusted_ you, I lo—" No, she wasn't going to say it. The mere thought of saying it was breaking her heart, bringing stinging tears to her eyes.

She wasn't going to cry in front of him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she slapped him, the sound of her hand striking his cheek echoing off the walls. He stumbled back from the force of the blow, and she bolted.

Dalang sat on the floor, nearly catatonic, his fingers touching the area she'd hit; her claws had scratched at his skin, and he was bleeding. She'd slapped him; Tigress had hit him, and he was bleeding. He knew he deserved it, but just the same…

He gave up the battle and let the tears come. He hung his head and let them fall to the floor.

Tigress had been his one chance for a normal life, his one chance at redemption; she was the key to his salvation, and now he'd lost her forever.

* * *

Po had searched high and low for Tigress, looking for her in all the usual places. He had stopped by Aunt Wu's to see Su Lin—for training purposes, he told himself, yes, training—and had seen Shifu and Wu Lien together, and, conveniently overheard every word of their conversation, and the tigers'. Since Dalang's window overlooked the garden, the panda had overheard everything. Su Lin had kept him long enough to explain that what Dalang said was all true, but one thing was certain: he loved her. He cared for her so much he kept the truth to protect her.

Po didn't see it that way, of course; he had respect for the tiger that came with the territory of being a chef, an artisan in their own right. Granted—and he had thought long and hard about this as he climbed back up to the Jade Palace—the tiger had never done anything to harm another creature while he was in the valley…except for killing his brother, but that was in self-defense! Dalang was a self-prescribed "lover, not a fighter" and a chef in a dim sum restaurant. As much as Po knew Shifu wanted to hate him, the red panda grudgingly admitted that at least the tiger was making an effort to help himself.

Tai Lung on the other hand… "Go back and find Tigress first," Shifu had told him. "I'll deal with Tai Lung on my own time. Just make sure she's all right."

The training hall was empty. So was her room, and the Hall of Warriors, and there was no one at the Sacred Peace Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. No indication that she had been there at all.

He sat on the steps of the training hall, sighing, wondering how he'd find her; if there was one thing to be said about her, it was that if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

But wait, he was the Dragon Warrior…he could do anything if he set his mind to it. He closed his eyes and took a meditative breath, focusing on the air as it moved in and out of his lungs. His mind followed where the air went, and before long, he could hear gentle sobbing. She was behind the dormitory.

It wasn't too long before he found her. Pushing aside a branch, he spotted the tiger, curled up and leaning against a dug-out she had made for herself when she was a child. This was "her place" where she went whenever she needed to cry, or just get away for a while. The place was overgrown with weeds, showing she had not been there for a good while.

"Tigress?" he gently called.

Her quaking shoulders froze, and she sniffed. "Po, just leave me alone."

She was crying. She hadn't cried since she was very little. Po looked at her, "Tigress, come on, everyone's worried about you…"

"They shouldn't be…_he_ wasn't."

"That's not true. Sure, maybe he didn't tell you the whole truth, but does that really make him a bad person?"

"Po, you heard what he did," she snapped. "He's killed two of his own family!"

Po rubbed the back of his neck, "Granted, there _are_ two less Jiao in the world thanks to him." She didn't say anything. "May I sit?"

She nodded weakly, moving aside to make room for him. He sat next to her and looked at her, slowly and gently pulling her into a hug.

"Tigress," he said softly, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"I thought I could trust him," she whispered, fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I know. We all did."

She didn't say anything.

"Tigress…did something…happen?" he asked. He remembered the last date she had been on, and both she and Dalang had been over the moon after that night. It made Po suspicious that maybe more had gone on than Tigress let on.

She didn't say anything for a moment, then nodded, "No, we never consummated anything…but Po, he was my _first kiss_, and…" a sob escaped her throat as more tears sprang to her eyes. "I loved him…"

He didn't know what to say. Instead, he hugged her, offering a shoulder to cry on. She accepted it gladly, unashamedly sobbing, her tears soaking into his fur.

"I loved him," she confessed. "I loved him…"

"And you still do," he said sadly. "But let me tell you something—no guy worth his weight in gold will ever do or say anything to make you cry." He kissed the top of her head as a friendly, protective gesture, wrapping his arms tighter around her, "And I bet you that once this is over and everything's back to normal, he'll never make you cry again."

* * *

Shang looked up from his perch, ignoring the sputtering and dying fire at his feet, spying across the Thread of Hope where the regiment was encamped. The bridge was moving. Jiao Shen's oldest son jumped down from where he was keeping watch and rushed to the bridge. He had spotted Feng bounding across the Thread of Hope.

The camp was abuzz with activity like a barely contained hive of wasps as word spread. Shang stepped past his other brother, Xiang, who lay on his side, smoking opium through a long pipe. The smoke swirled like twisted incense around the large tiger's whiskers, his eyes bloodshot and watery, brain gone the way of the northern winds. Shang curled his lip at the display and carried on, his father soon joining him.

Feng made it to the end of the bridge on the safe side, panting. As Shang drew closer, he saw Feng had been carrying something large over his shoulder. When the body slumped down onto the ground, Shang drew back.

It was Huang.

"What happened?!" he demanded.

Feng glared at his eldest brother, baring his long dangerously white fangs. "Dalang…" he hissed.

Shang felt the color drain from his face. Dalang!

"Dead is he?" Jiao Shen said as he nudged his dead son's body with his foot. "What a blow for him." He instructed a wolf to carry the body away and burn it, ignoring the enraged look on Feng's face. Shang felt pity for the now-youngest among them. Though they had never been much of a loving family since their mother had died, Feng and Huang had been uncommonly close…

Just as Shang and Dalang had been.

Shang closed his eyes, remembering the day the youngest was born. He held his brother before Shen held him, and his mother had smiled at him, saying "he's yours to protect now".

And he had. Ten years ago, he'd made damn sure of that when he helped fake Dalang's death, covering it up with the corpse of a civilian. He remembered watching as his youngest brother, who, like him, bore their mother's green eyes, ran towards the south, to Peking, to safety. _I'll come after you soon,_ Shang had promised. _I will follow you one day, when the time is right._

And now Dalang had made it to the Valley of Peace…and had killed Huang. Once Jiao Shen heard that…

He felt a heavy paw on his shoulder, his father's claws breaking into his skin. Shang's eyes widened.

"So, I understand the prodigal son lives, hm?"

He only had one chance to live. Shang twisted in his father's grasp, lashing his claws out. Shen grabbed his wrist and twisted sharply, bringing the younger tiger to the ground. "You thought you could get away with it, Shang? You disappoint me."

Shen drew back when Shang spit in his face, and threw dust in his eyes. The younger tiger tore off the cape from around his shoulders, wrapping it around his father's neck and pulling hard. Shen roared and struck his son, sending him back several feet and almost off the cliff.

Shang recovered quickly, ditching what little armor he was wearing. He threw a shoulder pad like a discus, hitting the old tiger in the face. _If I can keep hitting him there…_he told himself. He took a chance, ripping up an old, splintering dead tree and in a great show of strength, tossed it straight at Shen. Old as he was, the tiger was unable to duck as quickly as in his youth. He was blindsided by the log, long splinters digging deeply into his skin.

Their leader down, the regiment charged on Shang. He corrected his stance, baring his fangs and razor sharp claws.

He remembered being a teenager, Dalang, ten years younger than him, a healthy vibrant and smiling child at six. He was too young yet to fully understand that Mama had gone to heaven and would not come back. _Can't we visit her?_ One day… _One day,_ Shang had said—with all the wisdom his short sixteen years could bring—_one day we'll all be there._

_Even Dad?_

_Maybe. I think so. Sure._

Truth was Shang knew Dalang was the only one who would meet their mother on the other side. Even if Dalang did not think he would, he had not done the things Shang was guilty of.

The wolves were at the front of the attack, spears raised. Shang's mind shut down, and the savagery inherited from long-lost ancestors took hold of his body. Letting out a roar that rang over the mountain crags he charged back, a flurry of orange, white and black, claws and teeth slashing and gnashing. Spear shafts splintered, the shrapnel killing and critically wounding the wolves. Shang moved forward, his green eyes glazed over red. _Blood, blood all over everything, where is the blood, more blood, I need more blood…_

He spotted Xiang protecting Shen.

_Blood!_

Shang's last bit of sanity checked the animal inside and he shook himself out of his bloodlust. He could handle the wolves and the rest of the regiment with ease—they were all afraid of him anyway. But when Xiang was in his drug-induced craze…he was unstoppable.

Shang looked over his shoulder at his last hope. He didn't wait for Shen to give the order to Xiang to attack; Shang got down on all fours and bounded for the Thread of Hope.

"HOLD!" Shen grabbed his raving son, who was foaming at the mouth. The old tiger pointed at the rest of the army. "GET HIM! I WANT HIM ALIVE!"

Shang cursed; wanting him alive was a worse fate than death. Once his feet touched the first board of the bridge and felt the sway beneath his feet, he almost lost his nerve. But, if Feng, who was deathly afraid of heights, could do it, then it should be nothing to Shang.

And Dalang…Dalang had to have crossed this very bridge. Dalang was braver than any of his brothers, or his father. Shang smiled. As he bounded across the bridge and made it to the middle of the crossing, at the top of the steep crag, he looked back over his shoulder. The army was on the bridge. He narrowed his eyes.

No, not this time. He extracted a claw and sawed away at the ropes, just enough to keep the bridge up. But if enough weight fell on the boards…

He didn't care anymore. If all these men died because of him, so be it. He discarded the rest of his armor, his gauntlets, and shirt, feeling the wind caressing his fur. He was shedding his past like he was shedding these symbols of the evil he had been a part of for his thirty-eight years of life.

Shang waited until the majority of the army—a good half—was on the bridge. He put one foot on the other bridge, readying his claws to cut. His eyes caught the subtle movements and his sensitive ears picked up the tearing of the rope's fibers. Looking to the other side, he locked eyes with his father.

Shang smirked and sent his father a rude gesture.

Shen's face paled, but it was too late.

The ropes snapped, and three-quarters of Shen's army fell through the mists to their deaths. As the first shrieks filled the air, Shang swung his claws down, severing the ropes to the second bridge, and he too fell in an arch, climbing up the boards like a ladder. The stone gate at the other side was the one focus he allowed himself. That and one more…

_I'll come after you soon_. _I will follow you one day, when the time is right._

_You promise?_

_You're my brother, that's what brothers do._

His pupils dilated and with one last burst of savage strength, he pulled himself up just as the bridge slammed against the rock wall. When Shang's feet hit the ground with a heavy thud, he fell forward, gasping for breath, his heart hammering in his chest. He struggled to catch his breath, looking over his shoulder. The shrieks of those who fell to their deaths rang over the rock walls and throughout the canyon.

And he laughed. Shang laughed, falling onto his back, laughing at everything: at heaven, at hell, at his father, at death itself! He was free!

No, he stopped, opening his eyes. No. Feng had found someplace to go in. He'd found another route, he would not have returned if he hadn't. Shang cursed and got up quickly. As tired as he was, he needed to warn the Valley…he needed to find the Dragon Warrior.

* * *

And you all get a Friday update after all! Review, plz?


	17. Why Trigonometry Sucks

Okay, another early update. maybe another one this weekend, sometime.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, why would I be writing fic? If I owned it, my skinny 'lil butt would be beachside in Aruba sipping Mai Tais with my _very_ Significant Other by my side. But alas, am still just a poor recent college-grad working a 9-5…so, until I make something as awesome as Kung Fu Panda, I'll be here…

Quick note: (clears throat) THANK YOU! 100 Reviews and still going strong! You guys are AWESOME! Hugs for all!

* * *

Chapter 16: Why Trigonometry Sucks

* * *

Shifu woke late the next morning, but it wasn't for want of trying. His conversation with Wu Lien the previous day had been very taxing indeed. He took her story with a grain of salt—a big grain—but secretly, he wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe there was truth to the origin of his ward's life. He doubted the validity of the claims she made; if anything, she had told the same lies to Tai Lung, in order to get him to change.

Shifu knew that was dangerous, playing with matches too close to a display of fireworks. If Tai Lung ever doubted—or discovered Wu's lies—the kung fu master shuddered to think of what the leopard would do.

But now he had a more pressing issue to attend to. Against his better judgment, he decided to skip breakfast. Instead, he made his way straight to the training hall. To his surprise, he found Po, Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane sitting outside, looking confused.

"What are you all doing out here?" Shifu asked. "Why aren't you training?"

"Tigress…" Monkey started. "She broke everything."

"Broke?"

"More like _annihilated_ everything," Mantis said. "There's nothing left in there except splintered wood…and the Jade Tortoise. That thing's darn near indestructible."

Shifu jumped up the steps and threw open the doors, his ears falling back against his head as his eyes widened. The entire room and all of its obstacles—except for the Jade Tortoise—were nothing more than splinters and ready-made kindling on the packed-earth floor.

And Tigress was kneeling in the middle of the floor, panting, eyeing the Field of Fiery Death.

"Tigress!" Shifu called sharply. "Get over here, right now!"

She ignored him, running straight for the fire.

Shifu needed to act quickly, but it was Viper and Crane who moved first. Viper shot herself across the decimated training equipment, wrapping herself around Tigress's torso, binding her arms. Crane swooped down and caught the tiger by the back of her vest, lifting her up and back, before depositing her safely beside Shifu.

The red panda was livid. "What are you doing?!" he demanded. "Are you _trying _to kill yourself?!"

Tigress didn't look at him, but glared at the floor. He could tell she was concentrating on something.

"Tigress, where is your head today?"

Behind the feline, Viper and Crane were both making frantic motions to signal him to stop before he made things worse.

Naturally, he ignored them.

"Just because some _boy_ broke up with you does not give you the excuse to just throw yourself away like this! You are an adult, Tigress, and here you are acting like a lovesick teenage girl! Have some self-respect…"

"Shut up," she growled.

The other masters gasped collectively; they looked horrified, as if Tigress had uttered an unforgivable curse.

Shifu's eye twitched, but he was more shocked than angry. "Excuse me?"

Tigress stood quickly, glaring at him, her eyes blazing. "I said _shut up_. Yes, I said it! I've wanted to say that for _years_. Every time you said something to put me down, something that made me feel inferior, I wanted to tell you exactly what I thought. And now I finally have the guts to do _just_ that." She had kept a cool, icy resolve up until this point, when the dam broke and everything came tumbling out. She knew how Shifu had felt about Dalang even before the truth came out. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You can go to hell, Shifu," she spat. "You can go to hell, because I can think of no better place for a bitter old man who never knew what it felt like to love someone more than himself, to love something more than _life_ itself. Before, if you had asked me to, I would have died for you. Now, if _he_ had asked, I would have died for _him_. You may have loved Tai Lung as a son, but you _never_ knew the love I felt for Dalang. So how dare you…how _dare_ you assume I can just come right back from a broken heart, like you did after you locked up your son and threw away the damn key!"

"I didn't…" he tried to say, but she interrupted him.

"You did! You let them lock him up and you forgot about him—you let him rot there, and now, I _know_ why he was so pissed. You don't know _how_ to love…and for that, I pity you. And envy you too; if you've never loved, you don't have a heart that can break."

Shifu was too stunned to say anything. None of his students had ever spoken to him like that. _No one_ had ever spoken to him like that.

And now she was brushing past him, running from the training hall and far away from them. Viper made a move to go after her, but Crane stopped her, "Let her go," he said quietly. "She's got a lot to think about."

"No, someone should go after her," Monkey said. "She's in no shape to be left alone…"

Viper felt something change on the wind; an exchanged glance with Po showed her that he felt it too.

"She won't be alone," Po said. "Someone'll find her."

* * *

Tigress ran as far and as fast as she could, speeding through the village, avoiding Aunt Wu's carefully. She made it to the outskirts of the village and kept going. She didn't care where she was going; she just needed to get away, away from anything that reminded her of him.

About noon, she stopped to catch her breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she wondered how far she had come. She looked around, finding herself in the middle of a pine forest. She was close to the Thread of Hope. Had she really gone that far without noticing?

_It makes sense_, the conscious part of her brain told her. _That son of a dog broke your heart, and you just needed to do something that didn't involve thinking._

Unfortunately for her, Tigress knew that this far out, if there were bandits that had made it across…though she could hold her own, she was at a distinct disadvantage if she were ambushed.

"Oh thank the gods!" a voice called out. "People _do_ live here!"

Tigress whirled around to see who had spoken; her breath caught in her throat.

He was stunning, simply stunning; there was no other way to describe him. He had the body of a prized fighter, firm, strong shoulders and arms thick with muscle. He stood straight and tall like a soldier, his head cocked to the side in a questioning nature. His sharp eyes, so vibrantly green it was uncanny, looked back at her, and she saw that beneath this imposing and perhaps dangerous exterior beat the heart of a calm and level-headed male.

She inwardly gagged at her own thoughts. She really needed to stop reading Viper's romance novels.

The tiger paused, hesitant to approach her at first, then moved forward. "Please, Miss, am I in the Valley of Peace?"

"If it is amnesty or sanctuary you seek, you've found it."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he said dryly. "Please, fair lady, I'm in need of help. Which way is it to the Jade Palace?"

"Who wants to know?" she challenged.

"Please, this is urgent," he insisted. "I need to speak to Master Oogway."

"Master Oogway is gone, he has moved into the next life."

The male tiger hadn't expected that, but regrouped quickly. "Well…is the Dragon Warrior still kicking?"

"Yes, he's quite well."

"Oh, do you know him?"

"That doesn't matter," she said sharply. "I'm not telling you a thing until you tell me who you are."

He paused, then took a step forward. Her heart skipped a beat. Whoa. This tiger was as big as Dalang—maybe a little taller—but with the same muscles as a true warrior was expected to have. His fur was so light an orange he looked nearly cream colored, and his stripes looked almost brown instead of the sharp umber and black of her own coat.

The fact such an impressive and very handsome tiger was shirtless didn't help keep her concentration.

_No_, she told herself. _Don't you dare! This is what got you into this mess in the first place._

"Please, ma'am," he said, his voice a deep purr like rumbling thunder in the distance. "I don't mean to alarm you, but I need to find the Dragon Warrior, or at least the Furious Five. The Valley of Peace is in danger, and I'm the only one who knows how to stop this threat…"

"Who are you?" she asked again.

"Again, I don't mean to alarm you, but my name is Jiao Shang, and I—GAH!"

She didn't allow him to finish, jumping forward and punching. He blocked the hit, but got nailed by her side kick to the jaw. He tried desperately to block every blow she threw at him, but Shang was finding it difficult to fend off attacks from the smaller—but significantly faster—tigress. Shang staggered back, stunned.

"Wow…I knew Master Oogway wanted to teach the defenseless how to defend…but teaching women too?" he gaped.

"You have no idea what you're up against, do you?" she hinted.

"I know I'm about to get my butt kicked by a beautiful woman," he said with a smile, clearly hoping the compliment would get him out of trouble.

It didn't.

"You're smarter than you look," she growled then pounced. Shang was ready for her this time, grabbing ahold of her arms and swinging her around like an intricate waltz until he had her pined against his chest.

"Okay, before you try and kill me, just hear me out," he said, struggling to keep hold of her. "I'm also—please stop squirming—looking for my brother. I think he made it to the Valley safely…"

"Your brother can rot in hell!" she snarled.

"Oh, so you _do_ know him. Good, this makes it much easier—first, where is he?"

"Go to hell!"

"Okay, new plan. Lets try…how do you know him?"

Tigress stopped struggling, and he felt her whole body tense in his arms. Shang groaned, instantly realizing the extent of her relationship to Dalang, "Oh that little punk…I'm going to _murder_ him."

"Seems to be a habit in your family," she snapped back, her white teeth gnashing.

"For once, I agree," he released her. "But I wish I could say they didn't deserve it. For every Jiao that has been killed by the hands of another Jiao, there's not a single dead tiger in my family that didn't deserve exactly what they had coming…unless they died of illness or old age. But those are the lucky few."

Tigress glared at him, "Aren't you going to attack me?"

"My lady," he said graciously. "I might be the son of one of the most feared and hated warlords in China's history, but my mother raised me right…"

She snarled at him, "If you want to continue that habit of breathing, you will leave _now_," she gritted out the last four words between clenched teeth.

Shang smiled slyly, "Dalang always did prefer assertive women."

"I'm giving you a three second head start."

"How gracious of you," he said, finally letting her go. "But I don't want to fight you, Miss."

"Too bad."

"This is hardly fair!" he nearly whined. "I can't hit a woman! That's just low _and_ wrong."

She shrugged, "Your funeral." Then she charged.

Shang couldn't duck in time and was hit square in the jaw, getting kicked three times in the stomach, chest and face in one fell swoop. Though he held up his arms to shield his face, it did little to lessen the onslaught of the ferocious female.

"Look, I know Dalang pissed you off, but I'm not the one to take this out on!"

"Of course you are—you're here, he's not."

With a mighty shout she back-flipped, kicking him in the jaw again, sending him flying backwards. He recovered quickly, crouching down and waiting for the next attack.

"Miss, _please_, just hear me out! The longer we stay here, the sooner the Jiao get into the valley! My father sent spies and scouts into the valley—that's what Huang was there for! They found another route in, I know they did, and if I don't see the Dragon Warrior _now_ the Valley of Peace is lost!"

"How can I trust you?"

Shang paused, then stood up calmly, eyeing a large boulder behind her. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly charged right at her. Tigress had little time to react, but froze as he sailed right past her and into the boulder. She jumped back as the giant rock crumbled into dust, which coated the other tiger's fur.

He turned back to her. "I could have done that the moment you attacked me. I'm not going to hurt you. My intentions are pure and just. Take me to face the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five—let them pass judgment upon me."

_One already has,_ she thought, but resisted the urge to say something. She thought about her options, and what would make the most sense to do.

If she took him back to the Jade Palace, how could she know that he wouldn't attempt to kill them all when he got there? Indeed, how did she know he was even Dalang's brother? How did she know the whole thing wasn't some elaborate hoax meant to throw her off or gain her trust only to be deceived later? How did she know he was really the brother of her ex-lover and not someone who claimed to know him? A pretty fair coincidence, _if_ it were true. She had been lied to and deceived once, and she was not about to let it happen again.

And she knew that if this tiger—a very big one , much bigger in muscle mass than Dalang—could turn a boulder to _dust_ if he so chose to, then she would hardly be a match alone if he attacked her when her guard was down.

The only thing she had on her side was her own little secret: this tiger had no idea she was Master Tigress. He thought she was just a villager, just a normal person who must have been taught kung fu. She could use that underestimation to her advantage.

Besides, if she took him back, she'd have her friends and Master Shifu to back her up…provided Shifu hadn't kicked her out for blatant insubordination. He wouldn't be happy to see this Jiao either…

Then the idea hit her. A way to figure out if this tiger was really who he claimed to be, protect against an attack from him (however grudgingly she would accept _his_ help), and get back at Dalang all in one fell swoop.

"Alright," she said. "I know where you can find the Dragon Warrior."

"Really?" he sounded pleasantly surprised, even elated. Tigress swore his tail almost started wagging in excitement like a little puppy. "Where?"

She turned back in the direction from which she came. "He frequents this dim sum restaurant in the valley…you look hungry. I think the cook there would just _love_ to make something up for you…"

* * *

"Impressive," Wu said as she inspected the training grounds. Tai Lung and Po had brought her out here, and she was clearly impressed. The tiny woman tapped the obstacle course made of bamboo with her fingertip. "Sturdy, too. You two really planned this out…I'm quite impressed."

"You think the girls are ready to move on to the next level?" Po asked hopefully. Wu shrugged and opened her fan to fan herself. "I need to see their skills for myself, but you are their masters, it is ultimately your decision."

Tai Lung snickered, "I know Mei can throw a good punch."

"Well that's a start!" Wu winked. She'd laughed uproariously when Tai Lung had told her about the incident in the marketplace; she'd be saving that story to tell Shifu later, once he was "done being a stubborn git" as she put it.

"Speaking of starts…Tai Lung, did you practice 'Leaves on the Wind'?"

The leopard rolled his eyes and sighed resignedly. "_Yes,_ Aunt, I did…"

"And?" she asked expectantly.

"And what?"

"Aren't you going to show me and your friend here how it's done?"

Tai Lung looked at Po, half expecting the panda to start laughing. When he didn't, the leopard demanded, "What are you looking at?"

"Um…" Po started slowly. "I could be wrong, but isn't 'Leaves on the Wind' a…"

"Dance?" Wu finished, smirking triumphantly. "Why yes, yes it is. Didn't he tell you? I'm teaching him the finer points of the Lotus style of kung fu."

Tai Lung's face turned beet red, and he growled when Po started laughing. "You—haha—you've been learning to _dance_?"

Wu sniffed, "And I suppose you can dance, Dragon Warrior?"

Po stopped laughing.

"Not so easy, is it?" she chuckled. "Not even Shifu can claim to know Lotus…why? Because he—like most, if not all men—can't dance to save his life…literally. And men, when they can't do something as easily as women can do, just brush it off like it's worthless to them. They feel that dance is only for women to concern themselves with. 'Oh, women can't learn kung fu, but dance is certainly appropriate'!" she mocked. "'Women don't need to know how to protect themselves—they have _husbands_ and _fathers_ for that'. _BULL_!" she snapped.

Both males backed away from her a bit, only relaxing once she took a deep, cleansing breath to focus her chi, and sighed, "Sorry about that. I heard that a lot growing up…" She cast her jade green gaze back up at them, "What men like Shifu don't realize is that…"

"Kung fu is really just a dance between warriors," Tai Lung recited.

Wu smiled at him, "You _have_ been practicing. Now," she tossed him two practice fans. "Show me what you got. Panda, no laughing," she smacked Po's thigh with her closed fan as a preemptive strike as they sat on a rock to watch. Tai Lung almost laughed; here was this tiny creature who barely came up to his waist, and she was exuding control that only Shifu could wish for! After all, the leopard did not fear Shifu…

…but he certainly feared Wu Lien.

Wu clapped her hands twice. "Remember the tempo, and…" she clapped once, and he took the cue, snapping the fans open and taking the first steps. He performed it as well as he could—he felt he had done rather well, considering. But halfway through, Wu stopped him,

"Why, that was a very lovely dance…if you were a leper with one leg."

Po snickered; Wu smacked him with her fan again and got up, sticking her own fan into her sash and taking the practice fans from Tai Lung. She twirled them in the air expertly, using just tiny flicks of the wrist to make them move.

"You need to be gentler, Tai Lung," she said, twirling the fans on her fingertips, tossing them into the air and performing hypnotizing loops and swirls with the props. "You overshoot everything. In this dance, you are a leaf on the wind…" she stepped out and leaped four feet high into the air, landing in a knee bend, her feet not making a single sound as they hit the ground. She held one fan in front of her face, twirling the other one around her finger, slowly turning on the ball of her foot.

"A dancer's feet must never be heard, her—or his—steps are to be as light as a summer breeze. The slightest change in the position of the feet—" and here she switched her position, her foot that was once facing out, now facing in, twisting her little body suddenly, and going into a deep backbend that shocked—and worried—the two males. Wu performed a single back flip, and many pirouettes, one right after the other, the red fans flashing in the midday sun like autumn leaves on the wind, and her sleeves and robe's hem flowing around her small body like being caught in a maelstrom, the turns becoming faster and faster at a feverish pace…

Then she stopped, slowly bringing both fans close to her body. She curtsied, bowing her head gracefully…then snapped the fans shut, bowing again.

"That, gentlemen," she said. "Is the Lotus style."

Tai Lung was utterly silent; his only thoughts during the entire performance by the aged teacher were that his mother—Nima—had done a dance just like the one Wu had performed. Nima was beautiful, graceful, and even deadly—and closer examination of the dance brought a few things to mind.

It was actually quite clever, he thought. The dancer alternates the speed of the dance based on the tempo of the beat, which, Wu explained, "on the stage, it is the drum played by the orchestra; in battle, the tempo, the beat you dance to…the drum that you follow is your own heartbeat". The alternating slow, graceful movements, then the sharp, striking motions with the fans were meant as both an incentive for the opponent to attack, and a nasty surprise when the opponent got too close. Even as he had practiced, he could feel it from her perspective, and understand it.

Not knowing as much about Lotus style before as he knew now, he would have been one of those attackers who took the slower tempo moments as a prime time to attack…and he would have been the first to get his butt kicked. Unless the opponent could hear the tempo of your heartbeat, then they would never know how the dance went.

_What an advantage!_ He thought. _If I had known that sooner, I would have definitely become the…_ He stopped himself, looking over at Po. The next thought surprised him: _No, you never deserved it…not as much as he does. Whoa. Where did _that_ come from?_

"Tai Lung?"

"Yes?"

Wu waved to him, "You spaced out. Everything all right?"

The leopard cast a glance at Po, who just smiled at him; then he looked back at Wu. "I'll tell you later."

"Fair enough. It's well past lunch time—would you like to join us for lunch, Dragon Warrior?" Wu asked.

"Sure!" Po said excitedly. "You want me to meet you around the back or…"

Wu shook her head, handing the fans back to Tai Lung. "No, we could benefit from you being seen there. If the villagers see the two of you getting along, then Tai Lung's chances of complete and total redemption will multiply tenfold."

"He's already saved a baby; what more does he need?" Po argued.

"A miracle," the leopard muttered, stashing the fans in a knapsack Wu had told him to bring. He was glad she'd told him to bring it—he didn't want to hear the jeers from the villagers if they saw him with those two fans. If he had his mother's fans, he'd have nothing to complain about—who would poke fun at a man carrying fans that could cut a diamond like peeling an apple and slice through jade like warm butter?

Wow, he was hungrier than he thought. Food, food sounded very good right about now…

* * *

"Where the _hell_ is Dalang?!" Wu nearly shrieked. The waiters and waitresses buzzing about the beehive of a kitchen stopped as she entered, most of them stalling to stare at the panda and snow leopard behind her. Yet Wu was the one they were most worried about. None of the assorted waterfowl, swine or rabbits wanted to tell her the truth.

Fortunately, none of them had to. Su Lin called over to her from Dalang's usual post at the stove. "Auntie! We're over here!"

"We?" the red panda asked, then stopped. Su Lin and Mei Xing were manning the stoves, dishes piling up by the wash basin.

"What is going on, where is Dalang?"

"He's upstairs," Mei explained. "He's not feeling well."

"Is he ill?" she asked worriedly. "Does he have a temperature, a cough? Has he eaten anything bad for him?"

Su said gently, "It's not like that, Auntie…"

Mei nodded her head to Tai Lung, who leaned in to listen as she whispered, tapping a finger to her cheek, "Tigress left him a couple new stripes on his cheek yesterday."

Ah. Tai Lung grimaced, thinking morbidly, _Welcome home to the Heartbreak Hotel._

"We're taking over the cooking today," Su Lin explained. "But it's hard to keep up with all these orders."

Wu groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead, "_Aiya_! And on a weekend too! Arg, that girl couldn't wait until the beginning of the work week to break up with him?!"

"Auntie, please!" Su pursed her lips, "He's hurting a lot…"

"So will the business," Tai Lung said it so Wu wouldn't have to. It was perfectly fine for him to sound like an insensitive ass, but Wu Lien was the mother of this "family". As stereotypical as it was, she was supposed to be the nurturing type, the "good cop" as the case may be. Tai Lung had no trouble playing the "bad cop" in this scenario; it was a role he could play well.

He spied the dishes and ignored his growling stomach by pouring well water into a pan and setting it to boil. "Is there no one else to help?"

"We're short-staffed today as it is," Mei explained. "I haven't had to cook this much since…well, you know."

He did, and he wasn't going to push it. Once the water was hot enough, he took it off, replacing it with more water for Mei to use for cooking.

Po was already tying an apron around his waist. "What are you doing?" Tai Lung asked.

"What are _you_ doing?" Po asked, arching an eyebrow. Tai Lung glared at him a moment, then a slow smile crept onto their faces.

"It's commonly called 'helping'," the leopard asked, dumping the water into the basin. "I can handle the dishes, they could use another chef," he told the panda.

"You sure? That's a lot of…"

"I've got it, Dragon Warrior."

"But…"

"I got it," he said with finality. He felt the dozen pairs of eyes on his back as he started scrubbing away dried rice stuck to the bottom of bowls. He set chopsticks to the side to get later once the larger items were out of the way. He heard Po grabbing various utensils and articles to begin cooking on the third of four stoves Dalang had installed months ago. In very little time, the quartet provided a little system that got food cooked, orders out, and, to the leopard's chagrin, more dishes for him to do.

By the time Tai Lung was halfway done with the dishes, and with his elbows deep in dirty dish water, a big shadow covered the doorway to the outside. The four looked over and their jaws dropped when they saw the massive tiger.

Su Lin let out a terrified shout as Po and Tai Lung got ready to fight.

Tigress poked her head in around the corner, smiled sweetly and gave a little wave, "Hello everyone."

Mei Xing's eyes glazed over the tall shirtless Amur tiger's form, then she looked back at Tigress, "Well, that was fast."

"We met while I was on a walk. He's quite sweet, aren't you Shang?"

Shang looked like he was aware he'd walked into a trap. "Um…yes?"

"Doesn't speak much, does he?" Mei asked, inching towards the stairs.

"He can be a real chatterbox with the right incentive…" the Tiger Master said cryptically.

Shang rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, clearly out of his element, "Um, I don't mean to be rude, Miss, but…"

"Oh, right, the Dragon Warrior," Tigress said cheerfully. Po was getting nervous. What was she doing?!

Tigress pointed at Tai Lung, "That's him."

* * *

Shifu was having an especially troubling day. Starting out with a very angry and very heartbroken Tigress completely destroying his training hall was one thing. Having her completely crush him like that with words alone hurt more than if she'd simply just pummeled the snot out of him. He kind of wished she did.

The red panda sat in the meditation hall surrounded by candles, counting his breaths and murmuring over and over, "Inner Peace…Inner…Inner…Inner Peace…" Heaven help him, he was going to need it.

He'd handled it badly, he knew. But, hindsight was the clearest sight of all. He should have been angry, at this point, for what Tigress had said to him. But how could he, he realized after much thought. She was right. His emotional detachment was something he'd had since before Tai Lung was even born.

_You're just a bitter old man._

That had stung. Especially the "old" part.

_You don't know _how_ to love…and for that, I pity you. And envy you too; if you've never loved, you don't have a heart that can break._

But he did. He had a heart; it had just been broken before. But like the vase that held the souls of an entire army, no amount of adhesive or time would ever make it whole again. And he _did_ know how to love; it had just been a long time.

Memories played behind his closed eyelids like a shadow puppet show in his youth, and images from his youth came back, floating up, haunting him…his parents, his siblings. Her.

His eyes snapped open and he gasped for breath like he'd been running. He was safe, inside the meditation hall, surrounded by dozens of quietly burning candles. The candlelight cast a warm glow over the walls, but Shifu still felt a chill. He grunted, situated himself in a more comfortable position and closed his eyes again.

_Think about something else_, he thought. _Think…_

Blood. There was blood everywhere. The village, blood splatter on the walls of houses, screaming children and wailing women, the shrieks of men as they died gruesome deaths at the hands of warriors from the north…

Everything was red: the sky, the trees, the moon…Shifu saw a creature garbed head to toe in black, even its long tail was wrapped in black linen. The only thing he could clearly see was one yellow cat-like eye glaring at him. Over the creature's shoulder rose the commanding figure of a tiger, who raised his sword high over Shifu's head and brought it down hard.

Shifu shot awake and jumped up into a fighting stance, panting like he'd run a marathon. He was still back in the meditation hall. He struggled to catch his breath, his heart hammering in his chest. "Deep breath," he told himself. "Deep breath…inner peace…just a nightmare…"

No. nightmares happened when you were sleeping—and sometimes after eating too much of a bad thing. It was midday in summertime, sunny and hot, but Shifu had never felt so cold. He shivered despite himself.

He'd just had a vision, and he did not like what he saw. Shakily, he blew out the candles. He was not going to have a peaceful day after all.

* * *

Jiao Shen was in a bad mood, and that was putting it mildly. Losing yet another son, not to mention a good three-quarters of his army in less than two days was not doing any good to his mood. The old tiger's tail twitched as if it had a mind of its own, but the rest of his body was perfectly still. He had allowed his son Feng to lead them from the gorge and to the place where the younger tiger swore there was a way to get in. Shen had originally held little hope for Feng. The younger tiger wanted to become an archer; Shen had forbidden it, refusing to allow his son to fight with "cowards" behind the infantry.

That was before he saw his son shoot the wings off a dragonfly in mid-flight, and that was no exaggeration.

Shen had originally held more hope for Dalang, whose skill with throwing stars, knives, and various other small instruments was impressive, if not impossible for a child of that age. Dalang had been three years old when he'd first gotten his hands on one of the cook's knives. Before the cook could do anything, Dalang had thrown the blade and hit a fly as it was zipping around some fish, pinning the dying insect to a tent post.

Feng had been severely jealous of him ever since.

But no, that stupid brat had to throw it all away in the name of "mercy". Mercy was for women, for Kwan Yin, not for a son of Jiao Shen. Shen had given his son an ultimatum, which was more than generous: kill the family of pandas, or die yourself. A simple enough choice, really, yet Dalang was never one to make things simple.

The boy had thrown his torch at his own father, and screamed, "You do it! And burn with them!"

He'd inherited his mother's temper, that was for certain.

Disowning him would have been enough to please Shen, but no one would respect a warlord who allowed a weak son to live. So, sadly, he had to have Dalang killed, which, apparently, didn't happen anyway.

_Pity,_ he thought. _Pity for him, that is._ Now that Shang had abdicated as well, both sons were on his black list.

Feng called the last regiment to a halt, pointing something out to his father, "There! Those waterfalls, there are caves down there that lead right into the valley."

"Caves?" Shen growled. "We're to crawl on our bellies into the womb of the earth like worms?!"

"It's either that, or we fly across the gorge like birds with broken wings," Feng said, unsure if his smart mouth would earn him one less head on his shoulders. He eyed his father's hand, which had strayed too close to his sword hilt. It came to rest there. Shen sighed, "Fine, get ropes and torches, we're going to need them."

A scout let out a shout, "My lord! There's someone down there!"

"What?" Shen glanced down and saw a…something… From this distance, it was hard to tell exactly what it was. All he knew is that it was completely black, and had one glowing yellow eye staring straight back at him. He turned to Feng, "Take some of my best assassins and go down to meet…whoever that is. If they be friend, offer them to stay."

"If they be foe, do as I please?"

"That's my boy," he said dispassionately.

* * *

Shen stood next to Xiang, who was slowly coming out of an opium-induced fog. The bigger tiger's hands were shaking uncontrollably, gnashing his teeth and darting his eyes from side to side, already on edge without the aid of his narcotics.

"Patience, Xiang, patience," Shen said. "Wait until Feng gives the signal…"

Far below, Feng and a trio of his father's best assassins crept down to the roaring waterfall where the creature was. When Feng finally reached the bottom and saw the creature up close, he was no closer to figuring out what it was than he had been at the top. The assassins kept a respectful distance behind him, and then he saw why.

The creature's belt was dotted with an assortment of nasty-looking weapons, mostly knives and daggers, but also had a coiled chain and grappling hook attached at the end. Across his back were strapped twin short swords with curved blades for slashing. Feng saw that the black of the creature's coat was no fur—it was clothing, and black linen was wrapped like gauze around his hands, feet, and long tail.

It was feline, Feng knew that much. And that he was big.

And yet it was unnatural, the way that singular yellow eye followed him around. The creature had not moved an inch since he had first seen them, leaning up against the cliff face next to the waterfall, arms crossed over his broad chest. If he could hear anything over the roar of the falls, Feng would have heard raspy breathing coming from behind the black gauze-covered face of the mysterious feline.

"You there," Feng called, "What business do you have here?"

The creature said nothing, and stood perfectly still, his eye still glaring. Feng took a step closer. The creature's one yellow eye narrowed. Feng saw that the creature's other eye had no fur surrounding it—it had been completely burned off—and a black eyepatch covered what the tiger was sure was just an empty socket.

Just imagining what in the hell happened to this guy made him shiver.

"Excuse me," he tried again, a little more nicely, since this guy was giving him the creeps. "May I ask why you're down here?"

"You may," it replied.

Feng jumped back with a yelp, then flushed red with embarrassment. The creature made an odd, chuckling sound that sounded like gravel crunching together. "Aww, is the wittle kitty scared?" the creature mocked.

Feng narrowed his eyes and snarled, "I am Jiao Feng, son of the Great Jiao Shen, may he live a thousand years! You are standing in the way of his road to glory! Stand aside!"

"Ain't you gonna to arsk me to join you?"

Feng blinked in confusion. "What?"

The creature sighed. "Not like your old tiger at all, are you? He knows an opportunity when he sees it…you tell him that I c'n give him the Dragon Warrior, Master Shifu _and_ the Dragon Scroll…as long as he's willing t' pay the price."

Feng's confidence slowly came back, "Ah, a mercenary. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Couldn't hear you," he shrugged.

"You're a man of few words, sir."

"I'm a man of many," he corrected, "I just choose not to use them." The whole time they were talking, the only thing that moved was the creature's eye, which blinked maybe once or twice.

The assassins behind Feng, a wolf, a lion and a brown bear, were all inching away from the creature, every inborn instinct telling them to run, and run fast. The only thing keeping them from bolting was Feng, who was either bravely, or foolishly, bartering with the creature. He was slowly gleaning whatever information he could; for the time being, all he could tell was that he had some sort of foreign accent.

"How much are you asking?"

"How much you got?"

"How about we assign you a percentage, once the valley is taken?"

"That means you got jack squat."

Feng pursed his lips, "Then I suggest you try carrying gold and jewels across mountains and valleys for…"

"Easy, Ling-Ling," the creature said, insulting Feng by calling him by a girl's name. "Don't get your panties stuck in a bunch. If you don't got nothin', you got nothin'. As for me percentage: twenty-five."

Feng laughed uproariously as if he'd been told a hysterical joke. His laughter dissipated quickly when the creature's one eye glared at him. "Oh, you were serious…"

"Twenty-five," the creature gritted out.

"There's still the share for the soldiers…"

"I heard the screams, boy, I know you lost most of them to the gorge. Less of them there are, bigger share for me."

"_If_ we hire you, you would be allotted the same amount as the other soldiers."

"How much?"

"One percent."

This time the creature laughed, and it sent such violent chills down Feng's spine that he jumped back a few paces. The crunching, gravelly voice belied a guffaw that sounded demonic to the cat's ears, and the one eye flashed with unholy glee.

"Ye think I'm a _fool_? I won't work for less th'n twenty."

"Tell us what you know, and maybe we'll…"

"I can deliver your brothers to your ole cat," the creature said. "Tell him t' chew on that."

* * *

The creature waited until Shen finished the descent to the base of the waterfall. The tiger faced the creature and Shen realized that Feng was right—this guy was _Creepy_ with a capital C.

"I understand you can make some promises," Shen said.

"I can," said the creature, arms still crossed over his chest.

"How would you deliver them?"

"Depends on what ye want done to them."

"A pity I can't see your resume…"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be able to vouch for it either—all the people who know it are dead."

"Touché, sir," Shen said wryly. "I also understand you're asking a high price for your services."

"No lower than twenty."

"Yes, I got that, but I pay my best assassins ten, and they are perfectly content."

"There ain't a knife in their back, that's why they're happy," the creature said darkly. "Me, I don't give a damn about what makes you happy. I only give a damn about me. And what makes me happy is money. So watcha got, stripes?"

Shen did not like this beast's attitude at all, but he had to admit he had fortitude. "The most I would be willing to give you is fifteen, but even then you would need to impress me."

The creature thumbed over his shoulder. "Check in the cave. I've been savin' them for someone like you to come around."

Them?

Shen took a cautionary look at the creature, then, flanked by his guards, strode forward and stepped behind the waterfall. He and the guards were lost from view for a moment, and nothing could be heard over the roar of the falls. The creature glared back at Feng and Xiang, the latter of whom was now sober enough to feel the same chills his brother did.

When Shen came out of the cave, he was so pale his sons wondered what he had seen that had made him look so haunted. Shen turned to the creature, then said, "If you are who I think you are…" he paused, fighting the shaking in his hands. "Then I know two things: one, I know why you hide your face, nay, your very species. Two…" he paused, and sighed raggedly. "Twenty percent, plus whatever _pleasurable additives_ you desire."

"Done," the creature hissed.

Shen backed away, then walked back to his sons, casting a suspicious, yet fearful look over his shoulder at the creature. Feng was the first by his father's side. "What's wrong? What was in there?"

Shen looked haunted, then blathered, "There's no way he could have…not so far, and kept them so long for…but the smell…"

"Baba?" Xiang asked.

Shen shook himself out of it. "Nothing. He's hired, get him provisions and necessary equipment for the battle to come."

With their backs turned to him, the creature finally moved. Under his face mask, he smiled.

* * *

The emotion in that kitchen was positively electric. Su Lin stared at Tai Lung, Po stared at Shang and Tigress, Mei Xing was just staring at Shang, and Tai Lung was staring at Tigress, slack-jawed, and elbow-deep in dirty dish water.

"_What?_"

"Oh don't be so modest, _Dragon Warrior_," Tigress purred. "You're getting exactly what you deserve."

And he was _so_ ready to give her exactly what _she_ deserved.

Shang looked at Tai Lung, completely mystified. "The Dragon Warrior…what an honor," he dropped to his knees and kowtowed.

Tai Lung slapped a hand to his forehead, "No, seriously, you have it all wrong," he tried explaining. "I'm not…"

"But of course you are," Tigress said, her voice as sweet as poisoned honey. "You, who are so _strong_, and _brave_, and _daring_, and so _good_ at kung fu…"

"Are you coming on to me?" his eye twitched.

Shang stood and took Tigress's hand in his. "Fair lady, I am eternally in your debt!"

"Oh, uh…" it was her turn to feel embarrassed. "No, really, it was noth—"

"There has to be some way to repay you," he insisted, smiling handsomely, his green eyes shining imploringly. He had Dalang's irresistible eyes...

"Um, no, I'm good…" she blushed when Shang got in close, face to face with her, and whispered, "Perhaps, if you don't mind, I can help you forget you were ever hurt…"

Dalang chose that moment to descend the stairs into the kitchen, tying a kerchief over his head. "Hey guys, hey Po, what'd I miss—" And there he saw it. Shang. Tigress. His older brother. His ex flame. His older, thirty-eight-year-old brother, and his young, beautiful twenty-seven-year-old ex girlfriend…were kissing. They were kissing, sucking face, swapping spit and hitting base number one out of four…in his kitchen.

Tigress was so shocked she didn't even know Dalang had entered the room. She stood frozen stiff in Shang's embrace, unable to move a muscle except to blink wildly in confusion. Then came a dangerous thought: this felt nice. She almost gave in. This felt just like when Dalang used to…

Dalang.

Oh crap, she was kissing his brother.

Oh crap, she was kissing his brother in _his_ kitchen.

Oh CRAP!

Dalang pounced, claws drawn for his brother, but instead of tackling the bigger tiger, Dalang somersaulted and landed on his back on the tabletop. Shang had been propelled backwards into the opposite wall at a dangerously high velocity by the force of Tigress's fist impacting his face.

Tigress panted, completely taken aback by what had happened, and feeling slightly violated. Then Dalang's voice in her ear made her feel ill:

"Well that was fast," he said coldly. Tigress turned to him as he climbed off the table, brushing rice grains and vegetable slices off his clothes. "I thought you were a classy lady, Tigress."

"Are you saying I'm not?" she seethed.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't know—what kind of woman do you _think_ you are, kissing _MY BROTHER _in _MY KITCHEN!"_

Tigress gasped; so did Mei, Su, and Po. Tai Lung just stood there, his eye still twitching, his expression reading _what the hell just happened?_ But the one who was the most shocked was Shang.

"Tigress?" he asked, nursing the black eye. He stared at her with his good eye, and gaped. "Tigress…_MASTER _TIGRESS? Dalang, you and Master Tigress of the _Furious Five_?!"

"Not anymore," he hissed.

Tigress felt her heart breaking all over again. "Dalang, this isn't…"

"This isn't what it looks like? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" he demanded. "Because let me tell you what this looks like!"

"Dalang..." Shang stood shakily. "You should listen to her…"

"Shang, _shut up_, I will get to you in a minute. Tigress," he glared at her, the pitch of his voice rising with his anger. "Me keeping secrets like I did is one thing…its another thing entirely to come in here, into _my_ home and have the _gall_ to show off your new love life, minus one worthless, lying chef!"

"Dalang, please…" she was near tears. She had listened to him when he told her his secrets; why wasn't he listening to _her_?

"Save it," he stopped her, picking up a knife to chop onions. "I've seen enough, I don't need to hear it."

"Dalang," Shang said, "I think you should…"

"Everyone get out," the chef gritted out, chopping furiously.

"Dalang…" Tigress whispered, pleading.

"OUT!" he roared. She actually flinched; he had never raised his voice to her, and it hurt worse than if he'd actually hit her. There was no way to keep the tears at bay now. She turned and ran from the kitchen, Su Lin and Po hot on her heels. Mei took Tai Lung's arm and gently led him out into the garden.

"Well, who needs the opera when you can get a good show for free here?" he joked, chuckling. Mei sent him a no-nonsense glare and his mirth dissipated. "Too soon?"

"You _think_? Her heart is breaking and you are actually _laughing_ about it?"

"She wants me dead, it's obvious, she brings that huge tiger in, playing me off as the Dragon Warrior…"

"Isn't that what you want?" she asked. "Isn't that why you're here?"

"Well I can't exactly be the Dragon Warrior if the position's already filled, now can I?"

"Then what is it you want?"

He checked his temper; _you're not fighting, this is just a discussion. Discussion, fight, argument and debate are all completely different things. This is a discussion. _

"I don't know," he said finally. "I don't even know if I serve a purpose here." Gods, was that depressing. He wasn't going to cry about it, but it did bother him. He couldn't be the Dragon Warrior; he couldn't achieve immortality that way. No, for the rest of history he would be known as Tai Lung the Terrible, and no matter what good deeds he did now, or how many he did, he would always be remembered for his rampages and his loss against the Dragon Warrior. He would be the villain in the story for all eternity.

Mei took his hand in hers, smiling hopefully. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

He sighed, smiling half-heartedly at her. "If you say so."

"And I say so, now cheer up, ya big lug!" she playfully punched his shoulder. "I better make sure I don't have blood to clean up after Dalang's done with his brother."

"You want me to wait out here?"

"Please and thank you," she winked. He watched her walk back in and noted how much a change had happened in just one day. He decided to see if the pandas had caught up with Tigress, so he walked through the garden and poked his head out the door and looked down the alley.

He saw the pandas alright.

Po was holding Su in his arms comfortingly, rubbing her arm and letting her cuddle with him. The leopard could hear snatches of what he was saying:

"Hey, its okay, its okay, you don't have to cry…"

"Its so horrible, they were getting along so well, I had such hope for them…"

"I know, Su, I know, but things will get better, you'll see."

"I don't see how…"

Po used a finger to chuck her chin up so that she was looking at him. "Su, trust me, things will get better. Sure, bad things happen, but that only makes the good times that much better. This is just a big misunderstanding and Dalang will see that."

"Do you think Tigress forgives him?"

"I don't think she would have run away like that if she didn't." He kissed her forehead. "Worry about yourself for once, okay kid?" he winked, and she giggled through her tears. Po wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs, smiling. "There, that's what I like to see," he said when she smiled a little.

Su did something impulsive that was very unlike her. She kissed him. Just a peck, on the lips, lasting barely a second, but it was there. Po staggered a moment, completely shocked. Su was blushing, ashamed, until Po directed her to face him again, where he returned her kiss, just as sweetly, just as innocently, if only enjoying the moment a little longer.

Su broke the kiss, blushing again, this time giddy. She bit her lip, remembering why they were out there. To her, it felt inappropriate to be happy when a relationship was clearly on the rocks in her own home. "I…I better get back."

Po tried not to look disappointed, but he seemed to understand her discomfort. "Yeah, I need to check that Tigress gets back okay. See you tomorrow morning?"

She nodded, "Yeah, we'll be there. See you…Po."

Tai Lung jumped out of the way and up into the one tree in the garden as Su Lin rounded the corner, the panda girl taking deep breaths to calm herself down. But she looked happy. She looked totally and completely happy. All those smiles he had seen before were fakes, masks she had used to show an optimistic outlook despite a troubled past. These smiles were real, and exuded all the light and joy that came with a true first kiss.

Taking a peek over the wall, the leopard saw Po still standing in the street, looking longingly at the doorway where Su had entered just a moment before. The panda sighed and smiled dreamily before turning and heading home to the Jade Palace. The leopard felt a lead weight sink into his stomach.

Tai Lung should have been elated; he had discovered the Dragon Warrior's greatest weakness.

Problem was, Su Lin was his greatest weakness too.

* * *

And this, class, is the reason why trigonometry sucks. Hope you enjoyed it, the action is stepping up quickly! Please leave reviews!


	18. The Phoenix Warrior

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

I'm not exactly proud of this chapter, but that's just MHO. Let me know what you think, what needs some work, etc.

* * *

Chapter 17: The Phoenix Warrior

* * *

Dalang was pissed, very pissed. He'd started his morning feeling like he was made of lead, unable to move, every part of his body heavy with debilitating depression and aching when he awoke from a fitful yet dreamless sleep. As soon as he awoke, he remembered why tear stains still coated his cheeks. Tigress had left him, probably for good. He had such high hopes for their relationship, he thought they would make it, be the stable and long-term relationship he had hoped for. Once again, thanks to his family, his life had been ruined a second time.

But he'd bounced back before, hadn't he? He had been trained since early childhood how to wield knives, throwing stars, and other implements of death and throw them with deadly accuracy. He was no stranger to knife fights, but he had never killed anyone; it was a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood in his family. But he couldn't kill innocents. The glory of the first kill, he thought, was to be in battle, not bullying a family to giving up their heirlooms for their lives.

That's what initially made him give up that life. Having his father send Shang to kill him sort of cinched the deal. Shang was the merciful one though; he'd provided a change of clothes and an address for a safe house, and sent Dalang on his way. The safe house had been Aunt Wu's. He learned early on who Aunt Wu really was, and that knowledge had been a better comfort. What he had told Shifu about culinary school was true—he wanted to know how to use knives for peaceful means, and he was good at it. Cooking came naturally, and was a coping mechanism to help him get over his pain.

That was what got him out of bed. He needed to cook, he needed to forget about her… And then he saw her kissing his brother in his kitchen. Something snapped inside him, and his dark side kicked in full force. And now, as he was furiously chopping onions to disguise the tears in his eyes, he was angry at both his former flame, and especially his brother.

Shang looked positively guilty, "Dalang…"

"Save it."

"Don't be like this. I didn't know your relationship had been that serious…"

"You didn't even know who she _was_ until just a few minutes ago!"

"How long ago did you break up?"

"Yesterday," he said, slamming the blade into the wooden cutting board. Now Shang looked positively guilty. _Good_.

"You love her don't you?"

"Of course I loved her, why else would I be so pissed?"

Loved? As in, past tense? Shang knew that was a load of crock. "Don't take this out on her; I was the one who advanced it."

"Always quick with the girls huh? Lost your virginity at twelve, and had how many girlfriends? I lost mine at eighteen, and had just two girls."

"I know. Look, I'm admitting fault here, she's got nothing to do with it."

"Did she tell you we were an item?"

"Yes, but…"

"So WHY DID YOU MAKE A PASS?" he demanded, gripping the knife handle dangerously

Shang furrowed his brows, "Can't we just enjoy this reunion here and talk about this later?"

"No, we're talking about this now. Why did you kiss her?"

"I was overwhelmed with emotion, alright? I was desperate for help: Feng has found a way into the valley, one that an army can get into."

This distracted him for a moment, Shang saw, as fear slowly began banishing the fury burning in his younger brother's eyes. "How?"

"I don't know, I didn't stick around long enough to find out; Dad was trying to kill me after all."

"Why?"

"Dalang, he knows you're still alive."

The younger tiger froze, feeling frigid dread settle over his body. "He's coming for me…"

"He'll kill us both before long. I came to warn the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior…"

"Po's more apt to believe you than the Five are; he's like that."

"Really? He strikes me as a rather disagreeable fellow."

"Po?" Dalang asked, confused.

"Yeah, he's the snow leopard, right?"

"No, he's the panda."

Shang stopped, staring incredulously. "The _panda?_ But…but he's a panda!"

"Yes he is."

"A _panda_ is the Dragon Warrior?! Then who is the…"

"That was Tai Lung."

Now Shang looked hopelessly lost. "The Dragon Warrior…and Tai Lung…and you know them both. And Tai Lung hasn't tried to kill you?"

"Not recently," Dalang said morbidly. "Dad apparently killed his biological father…"

"And since Dad was absent, he took it out on you. Charming."

"I seem to be the punching bag of every kung fu warrior in the valley by now."

"Yet you seem so composed…"

Dalang sighed, tossing the onions in the dishes already cooking. He grabbed a few carrots and started chopping again. The repetitive motion—and pulverizing the vegetable into little pieces—was helping to curb his anger. He took a deep breath and let it out again.

"So you finally left. It took you long enough."

"I was waiting for the most opportune time, you know that. I was his most trusted confidante."

"How did you get away?"

"By crossing the Thread of Hope and cutting the ropes; Shen now has a mere quarter of his full army."

"How many?"

"Six score at least. Wherever Feng is taking them, my bet is that it won't be an easy trip: more may be lost."

"Those numbers can be easily handled," he said, tossing the carrots into a simmering soup. "Most of those 'soldiers' are mercenaries that'll run at the first sign of trouble. Who's left?"

"Just Dad, Xiang and Feng."

"Feng's no problem either. Its Dad and Xiang I worry about."

"Xiang's gotten stronger," Shang warned. "His addiction has finally driven him to a madness we could have never predicted. Dad withholds his opium when he wants him to have complete and total psychosis to fight."

Dalang looked at his brother, "What's he using as a stimulant? Same thing?"

"Worse. It's a concoction of many, I don't know what's in it or how much. He took out a score of rhino guards alone on one small dosage of it. Huang used to make it for him, which may be to our advantage, since he's not around to make more for him."

"You should be telling this to Shifu," the chef said, grabbing a potato to peel. "I don't want to get involved."

"Dalang, you're going to get involved whether you like it or not, this is bigger than us!"

"Shang, we're _Amur tigers_, hardly anything is bigger than we are."

Shang sighed, crossing his arms and looking out the doorway to the Jade Palace. "I better get up there."

"Have fun."

"You're not coming?"

"Trust me," he said darkly, "Except for Tai Lung, I'm the last guy Shifu wants to see right now."

* * *

Shifu was going to _kill_ Dalang. The red panda had never seen Tigress in such a state. Though he was angry at what she had said to him, seeing her return to the Jade Palace in tears was enough to make his anger dissipate like fog on a hot sunny day, and worry came in its place.

She brushed past him and went straight to her room, with Viper and Crane following her closely. Po came up a few minutes later and explained what happened. And that explained why Shifu wanted to kill a certain tiger.

The small master quietly stood outside Tigress's room, listening in as she tearfully told her two friends what had happened. Viper was sympathetic as usual, and Crane was as supportive as he always had been.

"Listen," the bird said, "Things are bad now, but they're going to get better, you'll see."

"And that Shang guy," Viper hissed, "What a jerk! He knew you liked Dalang, and if he were his real brother, he wouldn't have done something like that!"

Tigress sniffed, "I know…"

"At least you socked him," Crane said enthusiastically. "Had we been there, I would have pecked his eyes out."

"And I would've bitten him," Viper said wickedly.

Tigress wiped her tears away with her palm, smiling halfheartedly. "I guess I should be grateful I know them for what they are," she said. "At least now I know they were real snakes in the grass, no offense Viper."

"None taken," she said cheerfully. "As long as you're feeling better."

"I'll feel better once I stop being so confused," she admitted. "It figures I'd be unlucky in love…"

"Dalang is your _first_ love," Crane said. "There are plenty of others…"

"But I wanted _him_! I don't want anyone else," she said, more tears falling. "He hurt me, but I don't want to forget about him…maybe part of me still thinks there's hope."

"But there _is_ hope," Viper insisted.

"Please, Viper, you and Crane have a better chance at making it than I do right now."

The other two shared a furtive and awkward sidelong glance but said nothing. Crane finally offered, "You want to go break something?"

"I already destroyed the Training Hall…"

"They could always use some help at the big quarry on the other side of the valley," Viper suggested. "Or the farmers with the crops—they're collecting apples soon, I think."

Tigress thought about it, then nodded, "Okay. I think I'll do that."

"Come on, girl, let's get you cleaned up…"

Shifu continued on, walking back to the Hall of Warriors, sighing along the way. This situation could not get any worse…

"Master Shifu!"

"WHAT?"

Zeng jumped back a few paces, quivering in his feathers, "Ah…um, you have a visitor, he says he needs to see you, and that it's urgent…"

"Is it Dalang?"

"Uh…it's a very big tiger, sir."

Shifu smiled darkly. "Good, saves me a trip. See him in…"

But it was not Dalang. In fact, Shifu had never seen such a big tiger in his life. He guessed his height to be about 6'4" or 6'6", and about as muscular as Tai Lung, if not more so. He was truly imposing, but had an oddly gentle face and polite demeanor.

Shang knelt on the floor reverently, bowing respectfully, "Master Shifu, I've come a long way to see you."

"And you are?"

The tiger paused then took a deep breath, "First, may I have your word that you will not try to kill me?"

"That depends on your crime."

"I have many crimes; the one you'd be most concerned with is that the blood of Jiao Shen runs in my veins. I am his oldest son, Shang."

Ah, so _this_ was Jiao Shang. Shifu had heard rumors about him: how he was undefeated in battle, a fearsome warrior, skilled with a broadsword and also merciful to captives and war prisoners. Even Shifu was surprised at how calmly he was taking this.

"Why are you not with your clan, Jiao Shang?"

"I am a rogue, as is my brother—you know him well."

"Dalang, I'm guessing?" he asked tensely.

"Yes, sir. But he's not the reason I'm here. I'm here to give you a warning of an advancing army…my father is primed and ready to invade the Valley of Peace."

Shifu's first inclination was to laugh and say how impossible it was for that to happen. Oogway's words floated through his mind, ringing in his mind: "nothing is impossible".

"Alright, I'm listening."

* * *

Tai Lung paced the training grounds, his mind in a cyclone. How could Po and Su Lin be an item? They barely knew each other, had barely spent any time with one another outside of training, and if there were any shenanigans going on, he would have noticed, right?

The realization that he also had deep feelings for the panda girl was shocking to him. His impression was that she had always been sweet to him; surely there was an attraction? But it made sense, didn't it, that she would sooner be attracted to a member of her own species? Not to mention, didn't it make sense to be attracted to someone closer to one's own age? She was…what, twenty-three, and Po he guessed was somewhere around twenty-five, give or take?

He tore down a stalk of bamboo and drove it into the ground, kicking out with a mighty roar, and snapping the thing in two. Okay, that felt good…he took a few more and repeated the process, taking out his aggression on something. He couldn't take it out on Po; he hadn't initiated that kiss, Su Lin had. And he certainly couldn't blame Su Lin…

So why was he angry?

He was jealous; he admitted it. He was jealous of Po. Why? Why not? Why shouldn't he be jealous? Everything seemed to come easy to the panda, whereas Tai Lung had to work hard his entire life to achieve everything. He had no idea how his life would change after being redeemed, if it ever happened. Would he settle down, find a wife and start a family? It seemed like the natural thing to do. But how would he make a living?

Before, his future had seemed certain. But that was his problem, and he had never learned his lesson. The future was never set in stone, and like a fool, he never planned for the worst case scenario.

And right now, losing out on a chance at happiness was certainly a worst case scenario.

"I'm glad you're venting, but I was wondering if we may talk?" Wu said behind him.

Tai Lung turned to her and snarled, "That's all we ever seem to do!"

"Tai Lung, take a deep breath. Let's do some tai chi together. My mind is troubled, as is yours. We need to find our center."

"I've found my center."

"Which explains why you're killing bamboo," she said sarcastically, arching an eyebrow.

He narrowed his eyes but respectfully stayed silent. He sighed, then nodded, beginning some tai chi moves with her.

"I was looking at the stars last night," she explained. "The red star is rising quickly, and I can see it passing through the warrior's constellation. War is approaching."

"That's what Dalang's brother said."

"Did he mention it will happen in two days?"

Tai Lung stopped. "That soon?"

Wu looked at him, "I knew you would understand. If I went to Shifu with this, he would never believe me."

"He would believe me."

She laughed mirthlessly. "You think so do you?"

He stayed silent, realizing how stupid it sounded. Of course Shifu wouldn't believe him! The old master hadn't even bothered to come by and talk to him, and Tai Lung had kept his distance, perhaps secretly knowing that if he initiated anything, it could only end in tears. Or broken bones. Or a couple missing internal organs. He took a deep meditative breath and sighed, "You're wasting your time with me. I can't do what you want me to do."

"What do you think I want you to do?" she asked, confused.

"Be a hero! Isn't that obvious?" he asked. "You want me to be a hero, how else am I to be redeemed?"

Wu closed her eyes and shook her head, but smiled, "Your mother had similar simplistic thinking. You look like your father, but you have so much more of your mother in you than you know."

Tai Lung picked up one of the practice fans he'd brought with him and snapped it open. The paper had already begun to tear from his rough handling, and he wouldn't be surprised if they broke the next time he used them. "I'm nothing like her, don't lie to me."

"I'm not. She had problems with self-esteem too."

"I don't have low self-esteem. I'm an arrogant ass, remember?"

"That's giving all donkeys a bad name, dear," she said with an elfish grin. "Nima always second guessed herself. She was the best student I ever trained, and yet she always felt like she was never good enough. Had it not been for Sonam, and had you not been born, I fear for what could have happened. Tai Lung," she slipped her thin, tiny hand inside his large paw, "A hero is not measured by how many battles he's won, but by how he handles his losses…"

"You can see how well I handle loss," he remarked dryly, looking at the bamboo debris littering the ground.

"You're not on another rampage—I consider that an improvement."

"I'm not a hero, Aunt," he said with finality. "I never have been and I never will be." He tossed the fan into the air. "I can't do what you want me to do; I can't dance worth a damn, or cook, or be gentle with anything. All I know, and all I can do is destroy!"

Then Wu's green eyes caught something remarkable. Tai Lung's arm shot out and he twisted his wrist just so, catching the falling fan on a single finger, twirled it in a circle seven times and slapped it shut on his thigh. It was graceful, smooth, literal poetry in motion. He had performed that move perfectly, just as Nima once did.

"Do that again," she ordered.

"Do what?"

"THAT! What you did with the fan, right there!"

"What, that? That wasn't anything special…"

"Your own mother wasn't able to do that until she had been training with me for ten years! You mastered it in just ten days!"

"I mastered all 1000 scrolls of kung fu before I turned eighteen—mastering a kung fu form is kind of what I do."

Wu looked positively ecstatic, and the way her face brightened up made her look twenty years younger instantly. No longer the tired old auntie before him, she now looked like the spunky, bright-eyed warrior woman he had known only from paintings.

She snapped open her fan, "If it's what you 'do'…then let's turn you into a Lotus Master."

"In _two days_?"

Wu smiled wickedly. "I can make it two _hours,_ if you like."

"Two days is fine."

"Good. Let's head back home. We'll need provisions for the journey."

"Journey?" he asked, deciding to leave the broken bamboo for Po to pick up.

"Of course," she said, fanning herself. "Where better to master a style of kung fu than in the place it was born?"

* * *

Dalang was the first person up the next morning, or so he thought. The tiger noted that the one spare bedroom they used for storage now was empty, meaning Shang had likely stayed the night at the Jade Palace. He could only imagine how that went; and he also hoped his brother stayed the hell away from his girl. Dalang smirked, remembering that if Shang had tried something, Tigress probably would have killed him.

He sighed. Tigress. He missed her. But he had to screw it up and overreact, and drive her away. Would she ever forgive him?

He knocked on the door frame to Tai Lung's room. "Tai, hey man, up and at 'em, I got cookin' to teach you."

No answer.

Dalang poked his head into the room and found it empty, the bed impeccably made, the blankets folded with sharp military corners tucked under the mattress.

"Where is he?" Mei Xing asked.

"Dunno. Did he take you out to training last night?"

"No, but Su was out…"

"Not to train, she was going to Ping's noodle shop with Po last I saw…wait, do you think they?"

Mei shrugged, "You got me."

Dalang sighed closing the door. "Maybe Auntie knows where he is…"

"Good luck asking her, she's not in her room."

"But…she's always doing her horoscopes at this time in the morning. She doesn't do it anywhere else…"

* * *

Wu was still doing her consulting, reading an almanac as she traveled. She and Tai Lung had left far too early in the morning, obscenely early, as in, so early the leopard had a hard time believing such a time even existed. He was tired, so used to getting a full night's rest by now, and the long hike up a steep mountain wasn't helping. It wasn't the exercise that exhausted him, it was the sheer volume of thoughts that swam circles around his head.

"How much farther?" he asked.

"Another mile or so, we're very close…and look, the sun is about to rise too. How very convenient, is it not?"

"Yes it is…may I ask you a question?"

"You may, and I might have an answer, let's see if they match."

Tai Lung scowled, "I can understand why you tied these weights to my legs…" and she had, to develop his leg strength. They looked like giant, iron versions of a coin with a square hole in the middle, and had been tied to his ankles with heavy rope, and while he had no problem with them at first, after five miles, his feet were starting to drag.

"Yes, I have good reason for that. what is the question?" Wu asked.

"Why are you on my back?"

Wu shifted her weight a bit as she sat on his shoulders. "Because I'm an old woman, and I get tired easily."

He sighed and just kept going.

* * *

They arrived at the training grounds: the Pool of Sacred Tears. Shifu had brought him there on many occasions when he was younger, always for training that the leopard couldn't get in the Jade Palace. Who knew he'd be back here again?

"This isn't where you developed Lotus Style," he said.

"No, that was back in the mountains of Sichuan," she explained. "But we're not making that journey with such a tight deadline. First, we begin slowly with stretching and meditation…"

"Alright…"

"Then we move on to the philosophy of the style."

"Right…"

"Then we get into the action."

"Finally!"

"Eager, are you?"

He looked at her, leaning down to untie the weights from his legs. "Eager to learn as much as I can…"

"Oh no, keep those on," she said. "Trust me on this, the longer you're used to those, the easier the style comes to you."

"Is this how you trained my mother?"

Wu smiled knowingly, "Well, she was known to have a pretty powerful hook kick…"

Tai Lung thought it over as he sat cross-legged next to her by the Pool of Sacred Tears. She had a point, actually. He'd used similar tactics when developing his upper body strength by tying weights to his wrists. Every time after that strength training, the punches and blocks came so naturally that his arms felt light. Maybe that's what Wu was trying to accomplish.

"Focus on your breathing, and imagine you are a feather," she started. "A single feather on the wind…"

The feather, the feather that had flitted down from above, his key to freedom from that hell…light and graceful, he was amazed at the time how simple and yet how beautiful it was. But the thought of Chor-Ghom brought him no peace. He shivered and resisted, thinking of something else…

His parents. He thought of his parents. His mother, he was barely a month old, and yet from his cradle he could see her, practicing her fan form in the kitchen. She was beautiful, he never got over how beautiful she was. Seeing her in his visions—no, his memories—made him feel light, like he could walk on clouds.

His father, he heard the clang of a hammer against steel, he remembered that. the time in the marketplace by all the blacksmiths hearkened back in his memories. The steady clang, clang, clang of metal against metal, counting off the breaths…

The vision became troubled immediately. He felt like something was creeping up on him, raising twin sabers over his head. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw the black creature with the single yellow eye. He dodged just in time, the twin swords sinking into the ground where he had been sitting just a few moments before. The creature's entire body went rigid, the yellow eye burning with rage at the leopard. Tai Lung's legs wouldn't move, even though he wanted to run; the creature advanced, coming closer and closer. It dropped one of its swords, the bandage-covered hand reaching up to the mask concealing his maw…

Tai Lung awoke with a start, jumping up and punching, kicking, letting out a fearsome war cry…at absolutely nothing. He looked around frantically, searching for the creature in black, but saw nothing, and no one but Wu, who was staring at him worriedly.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought…I _swore_ that someone was here…that someone was attacking us," he said.

"There's no one here but us. You can feel that, I can feel that." She stood up. "What was in your vision?"

"Blood, red was everywhere," he said slowly. "Then I felt…him. He came up behind me, tried to bring these swords down on my head…"

"What were you thinking of before then?"

He paused, "I was…I was remembering my parents."

Wu looked at him for a moment, surprised. "Have you been having visions about them long?"

"Since you told me about them," he confessed. "I can see them, I know their faces…my father looked just like me, it was like looking into a mirror, except his eyes…they were a different shape, more like almonds. My mother…I have her eyes. I drew a picture of her…"

"Drew? You draw?"

He nodded, then reached for the knapsack, pulling out the journal Su Lin had given him. "Su Lin gave this to me, she said she'd made it…she told me to write down my thoughts but…" he opened it to the first picture he ever drew, of the orchids on the windowsill. Wu looked at the drawing, completely mystified.

"This is gorgeous…" she turned the page to the mountain landscape. "Simply beautiful…" She turned the page again and stopped. Nima's face smiled from the page, her eyes shining despite the smudged charcoal surrounding them. Tears came into the old woman's eyes.

"You have seen them…you do remember them."

"That's her, isn't it?"

"Heavens yes, that's her…its been so long, I'd forgotten how beautiful she was…"

"I had a vision, or a memory about her. I had just opened my eyes, and there she was…she said I'd be a great warrior someday."

Wu nodded, ignoring the other written journal entries in respect to his privacy and closed the book. "And you will be…I'll make sure of that." She reached into the knapsack and took out a knife. "Chop down some bamboo—I'm going to teach you everything I can in the next forty-eight hours."

* * *

That morning in the Jade Palace had to have been the most awkward experience Shang had ever encountered. Master Shifu had invited him to breakfast, and the tiger couldn't refuse, even politely. After all, he needed to apologize to Master Tigress for his inappropriate conduct.

Unfortunately for him, the Tiger Master wasn't the only one who greeted him coldly. Every one of the Furious Five certainly looked furious at him when he entered the kitchen, the males all glaring daggers, and Master Viper looking like she was weighing the pros and cons of biting him.

Shifu didn't look too pleased either. The only one who made an effort to be nice was the panda, Po. Shang sat down quietly, respectfully sitting with a straight back and nodding in greeting towards everyone at the table. No one greeted him back.

"Morning," Po said. "Shang, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Welcome to the Valley of Peace, Shang."

"Thank you." Well, it only took twenty-four hours for someone to actually welcome him. Shang sat with perfect military posture, partly because of his upbringing, and partly because he was on edge with the tense atmosphere in the room.

At least Shifu had listened to him. The old master even seemed to believe him, and see the good in his heart. That had been the one thing that worried him; would anyone believe him? He knew that had Master Oogway still been alive, the old tortoise would have listened regardless. Master Shifu still needed some convincing. But it was clear from the Master's demeanor that morning that his heart was troubled, and he looked very worn and very tired.

Something more than the distressing news was bothering him.

"Food's on!" Po said cheerily, sliding bowls of rice porridge across the table to all the places. He pulled up an extra chair for himself and sat between Tigress and Shang, wisely keeping them as far away from each other as possible. An awkward silence fell on the table, each person avoiding eye contact with each other. Except Master Shifu.

The master looked across the table at Shang, sending him an unspoken message: 'meet me afterwards, we need to talk'.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did. I need you to tell me all you know."

Shang sat next to Shifu under the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, overlooking the valley below. Shang thought the view was utterly breathtaking, and the valley itself was like a dream come true. And it was in danger of being destroyed by his own family.

The tiger sighed, "May I say something off-topic before we talk?"

"That depends…"

"Dalang isn't as bad as I'm sure you think he is. He's better than I am; he's innocent."

Shifu snorted. "Innocent of breaking Tigress's heart?"

"You show a lot of compassion for your students, and I admire that, but if I may be so bold, you're also fiercely protective…"

"Your brother was her first love," Shifu explained. "I knew this day would come sooner or later, but I was not prepared for it. They've known each other for so little a time, and now to have this happen so soon…"

"They're soul mates, anyone can tell."

Shifu snorted, "Soul mates…bah. Superstitious nonsense…lets get back to the topic at hand."

"Alright," Shang sighed. "But you'll see…you'll find you were wrong about Dalang…and about Tai Lung."

"We'll see."

* * *

"Watch your balance…you're teetering."

"I _know_…"

"Then _fix_ it…"

Wu and Tai Lung stood together at the tip-top of bamboo poles the leopard had sunk into the ground. Balancing on one foot, Wu stood at the top of hers with ease, her other foot pointing at her knee, her hands together in front of her chest like a prayer. Tai Lung was having significantly more difficulty than she, only because there was more of him to balance.

"That long tail should help."

"It's not."

"Your mind is too distracted, focus only on the point which you are standing on."

"I also still have these damn weights attached to my feet…"

"Patience, student, they will come off soon enough."

"You're a sadistic little witch, you know that?"

"Thank you," she grinned cheekily.

His leg wobbled a little, but he stretched out his tail to correct himself before he fell. He had fallen over a dozen times already in the two hours they had been up there, and it didn't help that she kept trying to make him do these "yoga" poses at the tops of these poles.

"Let's try the Scorpion pose again," she said.

"Can we stick to this…Tree pose?" he asked. "I'm pretty confident here."

"You're not confident with Scorpion?"

"Not with sharpened stakes at the bottom of this pit if I fall." He cast his gaze down at the floor twelve feet below him, where foot-high sharpened bamboo stakes had been driven into the ground—a nice incentive to stay atop the bamboo pole.

"If you topple, you have other stalks to grab hold of. You'll find that once you master this style, if the need arises, you can balance on the tips of your toes on the point of a sword."

"Impossible—you might be able to do that, you're so little. Me, I'd get skewered…and not in a happy place."

Wu smirked, "Well, it certainly wouldn't be a happy place after _that_. Now, let's begin; arms out…"

Tai Lung slowly extended his arms out to the side, keeping his knee up.

"Now slowly, point the foot backwards, keeping it bent, and lean forward just slightly…"

He followed the instruction, closing his eyes.

"Don't close your eyes; find a place to focus your concentration. If you close your eyes, your mind wanders. And, by the by, don't look down."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically. He focused on a patch of moss across from him. _Focus…focus…_ He extended his leg back, arching his back and bringing his arms up and over. He started to wobble, his knee shaking. The leg he was trying to lift was tired and the weight attached to it threatened to make him fall.

_Don't think about falling…you have great balance, you can do this…you can do this…don't fall…don't fall._

He felt his hands grab his foot behind his back, and he grinned. He'd gotten it!

Wu clapped cheerfully. "Excellent! Perfect form! You can let go now."

He let go carefully and brought himself back into the "tree" pose, sending a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening for not letting him fall. He was through being injured; no more bed rest for him!

"I think we should take a break," Wu said. "Let's break for lunch."

"Good, I'm starved."

"Are you? Pity for you then—you're cooking."

He looked at her, then shook his head. "Pity for the both of us then, if _I'm_ the one cooking…"

* * *

He had packed minimal provisions, which he cursed himself about later, after working up quite the appetite. So, foraging became the next thing on his mind, and he found a fair number of wild vegetables to throw into congee he was making. It was a simple enough dish, but one he knew he couldn't screw up.

"How interesting," Wu said, "that you are confident in so many areas, and yet here you are decidedly less than confident."

"I was never taught to cook—this is unfamiliar territory," he said, throwing some sliced mushrooms into the pot. Next were onions and carrots. He wished he remembered to pack some tofu for protein, but hindsight was always the clearest sight of all.

"You were also never taught to dance, and yet you're doing splendidly."

Tai Lung sighed, handing her a bowl before serving himself and sitting back. They ate in silence for a long while as twilight approached, and he looked up at the sky as the stars began to show in the darkening heavens.

"Is that almanac the most recent?" he asked.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"What does it say will happen to me?" he asked. "I mean, if the Jiao are going to be in the valley as early as tomorrow, will I be ready?"

"In Lotus style? Probably not," she said, reaching for her astrology almanac. "But I have faith that you will excel in the fields you were trained in. You think you will fail?"

He sighed raggedly, "If I still believed I was the Dragon Warrior, I know I would win, I would be invincible. But I'm not…"

"You still mastered the 1000 scrolls of kung fu before you were eighteen," she pointed out, flipping through the book. "You're probably going to hold that record for ten thousand years."

"And what if I don't?"

"Stop second-guessing yourself. That's not in the rooster nature."

"Unless I have a rabbit ascendancy."

She sent him a look, "You've read these almanacs?"

"I was bedridden for two weeks—I got bored."

Wu finally found his entry and skimmed it, reread it, then read aloud, "For tomorrow: Avoid travel in the direction of the sheep, not a good day for making large purchases…" she stopped, then read the next entry. "The day after tomorrow: Expect a great conflict; a level head and cunning on your part will seize the day." She shut the almanac and looked up at him. "I know that you will win."

"How? Because I'm cunning?"

"Well of course you are," she smirked, pointing at herself, "Especially since you have a Monkey person on your side. Not to mention, if you were able to escape Chor-Ghom, it shows you're resourceful and can adapt easily to any situation. But there's something more to your doubt…what is on your mind?"

He really didn't want to tell her, but everything was on his mind. Su Lin, Po, Dalang and his brother, his eventual meeting with Shifu, not to mention the fitful dreams and visions he'd been having…everything seemed to be happening at once. The world seemed turned against him. Moreover, he was confused. Very confused. What was his role in the grand scheme of things? Was he the hero everyone claimed he could be, or was he doomed to be the villain for all eternity?

Wu patted his hand, staring at him with understanding. "If it helps, I think I know what can give you confidence. You've no doubt heard of the Dragon Warrior…but let me tell you about the legend of the Phoenix Warrior…"

* * *

"Master? Can we talk?" Po asked, sticking his head into the meditation hall.

"I don't know, _can_ you?" Shifu asked. He heard Po sigh, "Alright, fine…_may_ we talk?"

"Much better, and yes, we may. What is on your mind, panda?"

"Well, a couple things," Po said, sitting down next to his master. "Tigress socked Shang again."

"What was his crime this time?"

"He complimented her on her beauty."

Shifu opened one eye to look sideways at the panda. "That's hardly a crime."

"It is if you're Tigress."

"True. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I was going through those scrolls in the Hall of Warriors…"

"Yes…"

"I found one about this guy called the Phoenix Warrior…"

Shifu's eyes shot open in surprise, then he thought carefully, searching his memory for mention of it. "Yes…the Phoenix Warrior…Master Oogway mentioned one before, long ago…about 5000 years. There have been more Dragon Warriors that Phoenix Warriors, that's for sure."

"The scroll said only two ever lived."

"And with good reason. There have been more Dragon Warriors, on average about one every two thousand years. There is a greater abundance of truly pure-hearted people in this world—you are a prime example, Po," Shifu smiled fondly. "I've never met a purer heart…"

Po blushed, rubbing his neck in embarrassment, "Thanks, Master…but what is the deal with the Phoenix guy?"

Shifu sighed. "The Phoenix Warrior is aptly named. Like the legendary phoenix which dies in a burst of flame then is resurrected from its own ashes; so too does the Phoenix Warrior go through a similar…rebirth."

"How would he—or she, I guess—be reborn? Do they have to die?"

"I don't know if that's a literal meaning, or figurative," the master confessed. "I want to believe its figuratively speaking, but I should learn to not cast doubt on what is supposed to be impossible. It should be impossible for a person to die then return to life. What I think the scroll means is that the person needs to go through a rebirth of the soul…"

Po had stopped listening, his thoughts carrying him away. A rebirth of the soul…he knew someone who had done just that.

"Are you listening?"

"Yeah, sorry, I spaced out for a minute. What were you saying?"

Shifu cleared his throat. "I was saying that the reason the Phoenix Warrior has been so rare is that very few people ever truly go through a total rebirth of their soul. It has to be a drastic change; someone with much darkness in their heart, suddenly they become…good, I suppose you could say. Like a ritual cleansing, their sins are washed away."

Po was smiling. This was sounding very promising, very promising indeed… "Do you think there could ever be another Phoenix Warrior…maybe, in our lifetime?"

Shifu snorted. "In _your_ lifetime maybe…I have doubts I'd ever see it."

"How does someone become named as the Phoenix Warrior?"

"You _are_ very curious about this aren't you?" Shifu said, eyeing his protégé. "But if you insist…the Dragon Warrior gains the ultimate power through the Dragon Scroll. There is no such scroll for the Phoenix Warrior. He—or she—must cleanse their heart and soul, then prove themselves as pure-hearted individuals."

"Like what, for example?"

The master shrugged, "Search me, I have no clue. It could be something as simple as defeating an entire army single-handedly, or as complicated as…oh I don't know, something Oogway would have thought up."

"Though Master Oogway _was_ very wise. Everything was a philosophy lesson with him…"

"I'm hardly the second coming of Lao Tzu, myself, Panda," Shifu muttered. "There has to be some deeper meaning, as much as I wish I could say it was just a myth, all myth has some basis in fact…"

"Do you know who the two Phoenix Warriors were?"

Shifu responded before he could stop himself. "Ask Tai Lung, he read all the scrolls, he'll know." He bit his tongue, staring into the flame of one of the candles. Had he really just said that?

He thought back to the leopard's youth, when Shifu was young himself…well, younger. He'd caught the young leopard in the Hall of Warriors one day, scrolls unrolled on the floor and the little cat pouring over them. He'd turned and grinned at his master, "Master, look at the pictures!"

Tai Lung had been…what, five? No older than six, perhaps. But here he was, trying to read the characters on the scrolls that went with the pictures of fighting styles. Shifu remembered the six styles he had pulled out: Leopard, Tiger, Crane, Viper, Money, and Mantis styles. Shifu had chuckled as the young Tai Lung had attempted a mantis style kick and fell flat on his rump.

"Here, let me show you…" and he sat down on the floor with his surrogate son and started to teach him to read.

How things had changed! Shifu wished desperately those times had never ended. Sometimes he caught himself wondering, what if I had done it differently, taken a different approach? If I hadn't been so hell-bent on being the first master in 1000 years to train the Dragon Warrior, would any of this have happened?

But this conversation with Po cast new thoughts…what if Tai Lung could be…? Shifu shook his head. No, it was so unlikely that would ever happen. Tai Lung would never truly change.

"Master Shifu?"

Shifu shook himself out of it. "Forgive me, it seems my mind was wandering…"

"Thinking about the past?"

"More like regretting it."

"You really shouldn't, you know. It couldn't have been all bad."

"It wasn't, and that's what depresses me. You want to know something funny…" he turned to face his student. "This whole past year, I was actually able to find inner peace, thinking that Tai Lung would never threaten anyone ever again. It pained me to think he was dead, of course, I even felt guilt over it. But after a year, I became…almost content with it. Now that I know he's alive and living in this valley, I can no longer find peace."

He never would have thought of confiding this to the panda, but he needed someone to talk to. Oogway wasn't around anymore, and Po was a good listener, and, after a year of training and reading up on the 1000 scrolls himself, became wiser for it.

"Master, you need to stop blaming yourself for that. Tai Lung made his choice…twice. None of that was your fault. He's an adult, and as tough as I'm sure it is, you just gotta trust him to make the right decisions."

"But he _hasn't_ made the right decisions!" Shifu exclaimed. "And now that crazy old woman is going to get herself killed because she's so…"

"Kind-hearted?" Po finished. Shifu said nothing, only sighing through his nose and closing his eyes to compose himself. "Wu Lien does not know what she's doing…"

"She's a master of kung fu…"

"She teaches _dance_ for heavens sake! That is not kung fu!"

"So I'm guessing that story about the army of girls and women fighting the Mongol hordes with paper fans and kitchen knives was just a myth?"

Shifu scowled. "She has never taught men. She doesn't know what Tai Lung is capable of…"

"Neither did you, until it happened."

"And I should have known it would happen," he said guiltily. "I taught him. I should have known…"

"Master," Po said, standing up. "I think you should at least talk to him…or go see him, and not talk. Just see how he acts. He's not like he was before, I know that."

"Wu told me about your midnight excursions," Shifu said levelly, biting back on the note of betrayal in his voice. He felt betrayed by Po's secret, and wondered why he wasn't angrier than he was.

Po said defensively, "He's changed."

"How do you know?"

"He hasn't tried to kill me."

"He can't defeat you, that's the thing!"

"I said he hasn't _tried_…I know he can't defeat me. The thing is, he hasn't tried to fight me. He knows his limits, and he knows he can't beat me. That, and he hasn't hurt anyone since he got here…"

"Then why did he attack you that day he fought that tiger?"

"That was staged."

"WHAT?"

"We staged it. We needed to make it look convincing. I was the one to throw the first punch. He decided it would be the best thing—if it looked like Aunt Wu publicly brought him in out of the goodness of her own heart, then the villagers wouldn't judge her as quickly. Shifu, he's been keeping them a secret as much as they have been keeping him a secret! He thought that if he revealed what they had done to help him, they would be arrested, jailed, or worse!" Po paused to let this sink in. "He was _protecting_ them."

"He had no reason to," Shifu defended.

"You sure about that?" Po asked, then he got up and turned to leave. "I know you're wrong about him. Just go talk to him. Go talk to him and see for yourself."

* * *

"Why are you telling me this?" Tai Lung asked after Wu finished her explanation. "I know about the Phoenix Warrior, how he was an ally of the first Dragon Warrior, but disappeared without a trace. I read the scroll, I know the story."

"Don't you see what I'm trying to tell you?" she asked.

Tai Lung frowned and stood up, picking up a practice fan. "Don't. Don't you dare start!" he said tensely. "That kind of thinking is what got me into trouble the first time!"

"I'm not saying that you are, or that you could be the Phoenix Warrior!" she yelled. "I'm saying that you _have_ changed. Your soul has become purified!"

"No it hasn't! If its so pure, why do I feel so conflicted?" he demanded. "Why do I feel guilt, remorse, and lonely? If I'm so pure, why am I not happy?!"

Wu paused, appearing to think it over. She asked, "What makes you happy?"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"What makes you happy?"

"I…I don't know," he said finally. "The things that used to make me happy, I've been avoiding, because they are what led me down the path to my own destruction. I guess…drawing helps, but I don't think it makes me happy. Kung fu is an outlet, but…being contented isn't the same as happiness, is it?"

"It's a facet," Wu said. "But you're right, it's not the same thing. Think; there must be something that made you undeniably happy…something recent."

He thought back…when was the last time he truly laughed, truly smiled? Then it hit him: Fu. When he'd saved that baby, he'd felt…amazing. He'd never felt so good in his life.

"When I saved that rabbit," he started slowly. "I…I couldn't explain what came over me. When Po said that the villagers had cheered for me—cheered!—I couldn't believe it. But I felt…indescribable."

Wu smiled, "Are you telling me what I think you are?"

Tai Lung thought about it then sat back down in his shock. "I was…that made me happy. Saving someone made me happy."

She smiled knowingly. "What do you think you should do to make yourself happy?"

"…help people?"

"That's a start, I'd think. But you know what that revelation makes you sound like?"

"Don't say it."

"Why not?"

"Don't give me false hope," he pleaded. "I won't be able to stand it, I won't be strong enough…"

"Look who's talking, not strong enough!" she scoffed. "I've never heard anything so absurd!"

"There's different kinds of strength…" he said. He thought about Su Lin, who, despite her devastating loss, still managed to put on a smile every morning, and to believe that things get better; she was the kind who believed that when you hit rock bottom, there was nowhere else to go but up. That was strength.

He thought about Mei Xing, who dared to break free of the bonds her husband had over her. She had endured ten years of physical and emotional torture, repeated rape, and who knew how many other abuses. Yet her spirit had never been broken.

Then he thought about Dalang. The tiger was physically strong, he knew that. but to see the heartbreaking break-up between him and Tigress and the effect it had on her…to see him not a complete mess was proof his own strength.

There were varying degrees of strength. There was physical, there was emotional, mental, and spiritual. He envied all three.

Wu Lien put her hand on his arm in a comforting way, offering a kind smile. "You're stronger than you think," she said with an underlying meaning. He smiled a little, glad for the encouragement. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Now!" she said clapping her hands. "Let's get those weights off and see how you do…"

* * *

Read and Review please!


	19. Hell Hath No Fury

Standard disclaimers apply (i.e. I don't own Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks does, etc, etc, etc.). This chapter professes one true adage that has been passed down throughout the centuries: Hell truly has no fury like a scorned woman. Also: DNA is a mistake of nature. Thought I should share that.

Not my best, but it gets things moving a little closer to the grand climax. I promise to have more A material soon, I _promise_! Warning of LEMON later in this chapter. This is what the "T" rating is for!

* * *

Chapter 18: Hell Hath No Fury

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the earth, the Jiao clan had no concept of day or night, light or darkness. The time was irrelevant; their only concern was getting through the caves safely, or at least alive.

Jiao Shen narrowed his eyes at the Creature ahead of him. He had studied the black warrior all day, though it was difficult to see much of him in the suffocating blackness of the underground. Feng kept a respectful distance from both his father and the strange creature, who was serving as their guide. The young tiger still looked pale, his hands shaking as Shen's had been after viewing an example of the Creature's work.

Right by the entrance to the cave behind the waterfall, had been the bodies of perhaps a dozen rhinos, and Shen had instantly recognized the one that had been their leader. The half of a horn was apparent enough: it was Vachir.

The Creature had killed and viciously maimed his captors. Shen was sure he knew exactly who was in front of him. Why else would he hide his face, his species? One way or another, Shen vowed, he would unmask the Creature and reveal him for who he really was.

Feng and the Creature led the way through the caves, the former semi-confident in where he was going, the latter in his element. The tiger held a torch aloft, leading the way, falling back to allow the Creature the room he hinted at needing. Of the remaining family members, Feng knew he was as brave as Shang or Dalang, but like his father, he also believed that discretion was the better part of valor. However, that didn't stop his inborn feline curiosity.

"So…Where are you from?"

"None o' your damn business, boy."

"Alright…do you have a name?"

"I used to, not anymore."

"So what do we call you?"

"Whatever ye feel like. Ain't no skin off me nose."

"You're a very frustrating creature."

"And you're an impudent brat, so let's call it even."

Shen called his son back, and Feng returned to his father's side; Shen grabbed the 33-year-old's arm and twisted it sharply, making him bite down on his lip to keep from crying out. "You keep your distance from him."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, you told me that."

"He killed those rhinos with no remorse—I don't trust him, and neither should you."

"I never said I trusted him," Feng said. "But it looks like we have no choice until we see the light of day…"

"And how do you know we will, hmm?" Shen asked. Feng pointed to the ceiling of the cavern they had just entered. "I recognize this room. We're not too far away now."

"How big was the entrance on the other side?"

"Only enough room for one person to squeeze through, single file. There had been a cave-in some time ago, my guess is when the Valley of Peace was first settled…"

"Aye, that's the place," the Creature called back. "I know these caves like the back 'o me paw…"

"Yet you've never sought to enter the valley?" Shen grilled.

The Creature shrugged. "Never thought to. Now I gots a good enough reason, I reckon, with you lot about."

"How much further then?"

Feng answered, "Another day. My guess is that its nighttime now, up on the surface."

"Aye, 'tis," the Creature acknowledged with a single nod. "Ye can tell from how quiet it is in here. All the beasties that sleep in the caves by day leave during the night, an' its completely quiet but for the dripping water and the wind 'round the stalagmites…"

"And here I thought you were not a very talkative person," Shen remarked dryly.

"When th' mood suits me, milord," the Creature said mockingly. Shen narrowed his eyes in anger. No, he wouldn't let this creature get away with it…but his time would come. And if he could help it, his time would come very soon…

The Creature ignored Shen's glares; he didn't scare him, not in the least. He was smarter than the tiger, he knew that. He'd survived so many atrocities, it was a miracle he was even alive. No, he knew what Shen was planning, and he wouldn't give him the satisfaction…

* * *

Tai Lung felt the considerable weight literally fall right off his ankles, and he massaged his legs to get the circulation moving freely again. Wu Lien stood and handed him his practice fans. "I've taught you the basics, now its time to teach you the moves. Stand to attention."

He was amazed how light he felt when he stood. Wu corrected his stance. "Back straight, shoulders back, feet together, knees locked, chin up…good, good. But don't puff out your chest for heavens sake! You were born in the year of the rooster, but that doesn't mean you _are_ one!"

He relaxed a little, but was mindful not to slouch. "So…we're learning more dances?"

"Not right now. I'm going to teach you the fighting form. Normally, I would love to teach you dances before the practical application, but we're pressed for time," she said, eyeing the sunrise. "Take up your fans…lets begin."

* * *

They spent the rest of that morning practicing, training, until, much to his surprise, his feet really did begin to bleed. Wu's own bandaged feet had spots of red dotting the white cotton strips as well, but she ignored the pain, still coming at him with as many different attacks as she could, offering encouragements and corrections the whole way.

She let him rest a bit, sitting to treat her aching feet. She taught him how to care for them, how to soak them in warm water, then cool, dab them with disinfectant and rub a cooling mint salve into them, massaging them for circulation. Then she taught him how to wrap bindings around them, so that the bleeding stopped, and the pain lessened.

"Think of it as the tape you put around your knuckles before a fight," she said. "Or putting a broken arm in a splint and sling. I would never dance with unprotected feet. This ground is horrible for it—so many rocks and twigs. On a flat floor, this never happens unless you are on your feet for days without rest."

"But you were right," he said, gently tying the bandages at his ankle and tucking the ends inside the wraps. "My feet bled, and my legs feel like they're about to fall off."

"You doubted me?"

"I doubted how serious you were. Dancing didn't look that hard…"

She smiled wryly, "So said many of the men I've trained."

"I'm not the first?"

She laughed, "Nor will you be the last, heaven willing! I might be getting on in years, but I'm not done yet!"

"Did you want to reopen your school?"

She sighed, stirring some vegetables and fish into rice porridge for a light lunch. "I was disgraced by the Jiao…when they came, they destroyed everything, and I never recovered."

"It's not too late…"

"Tai Lung, there hasn't been a new master of Lotus style since your mother!" she exclaimed. "It is an all-but-forgotten style, and I'm too old to train a new student in it…no, unless you want to teach women the rest of your life, the Lotus style will die with me."

He felt a great amount of empathy for her. "You have a lot more time…women are living longer and longer now, many more years than men!"

"Not too long," she said sadly, her brows knit with worry. "I'm seventy years old, Tai Lung…I'm lucky to have lived this long, and I'll be lucky to live another ten years!"

He paused, not sure if he should say it. "So…I'm your last hope?"

"Unless Su Lin or Mei Xing want to learn it, but you're already training them…"

"You should have said something…"

"You are my highest priority right now. I love those girls, but their lives were, and still are, on the right track, yours wasn't."

"It is now, right?"

She smiled, standing back up. "You're going in the right direction, at least."

He stood with her, noting the congee was not ready. Casting a sidelong glance at her, he asked, "So…one more round while we're waiting?"

Wu grinned, grabbing her fan, "That's the spirit!"

* * *

Shifu sat in the training hall, watching his students perform on the obstacle course, Po sitting to his left, and Shang on his right. The master noted where the tiger's eyes were trained, as Tigress dodged and ducked the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion.

"She's good," the Amur tiger said.

"Mm-hmm," Shifu and Po nodded, humming in agreement.

"Is she always so…"

"Aggressive?" Shifu asked.

"Awesome?" Po asked.

"I was going to say 'impressive' but those work too…"

"Refraining from calling her 'beautiful', eh?" Shifu asked. Shang blushed, "Well, considering she nearly took my head off last time…can she not take a compliment?"

"She used to take them all the time when she and Dalang were together," Po said. "He made her the happiest girl in the world…"

"The happiest I've ever seen her," Shifu nodded, then sighed. "And despite my feelings about him, he truly was the best thing to happen to her."

"I don't see why you're all so depressed," Shang said, crossing his arms. "It's not like my brother died…"

"No, but it feels like it to her," Po said, ducking the debris from one of the clubs as it sailed right past his head. It barely missed Zeng though, as the duck hit the floor. He dragged himself into the hall, out of breath and looking as harried as he usually was. Gasping for air, he held up a folded note, "Something for…hoo boy…something for Master Tigress…"

Tigress jumped out onto the safety of the floor and walked around, "Who is it from?"

"The staff at Aunt Wu—"

She didn't let him finish, "Burn it, I don't care."

"But it's from a, uh, Su Lin…"

Tigress looked down at the piece of paper then gently took it, unfolding it, "Probably a peace offering, trying to get me back together with…" she paused when she read it, then she looked confused. "A 'Girl's Night In'?"

"What?" Viper asked, slithering up to her. "They're inviting you to a party?"

"I don't think so…it looks like they just want to talk 'over a pot of tea'. It says you're invited too," Tigress said, showing her friend the note. "What do you think they're up to?"

"Look at the post script: 'PS, A certain chef has the night off and will be out of the house. No worries, signed, Su Lin and Mei Xing.' Huh, they thought of everything…"

"They didn't mention Tai Lung."

"He wasn't there," Zeng said.

"What?" Shifu glared.

"He, uh," the duck stammered, "He uh, and A-Aunt Wu left…early yesterday morning, no one knows where they went, or when they'd be back."

Or _if_ they would be back, Shifu thought with a scowl. Then he got an idea. If Tai Lung and that incorrigible woman were out of the house…Dalang was fair game. He smiled wickedly, sharing a glance with Tigress, who slowly smiled and nodded. He had her approval. Perfect.

"Well, in that case, I think a night out would do you some good, Tigress…" Shifu said. "A change of scenery, time spent with good friends…it will help."

"I agree, Master," she said, her tone sounding dangerous to the other males in the room. "But perhaps we should go down a bit early…"

"Agreed. Zeng, I will deliver the message back."

"B-but Master Shifu…"

"I've got it, Zeng," the master said, standing and slowly walking out of the hall, chuckling under his breath.

Shang and Po shared a worried look. "I should probably go with him, shouldn't I?"

"I would," Po said, whispering in the tiger's ear. "Tai Lung and Wu were keeping him away. Now that they're out, Dalang's gonna get it. Take the back way out, you'll be the first down there…"

Shang stood up to leave without another word.

* * *

Had Dalang been born over a thousand years later, the shudder he felt at the moment Shifu left the training hall would have been summarized in the following seven words: "I feel a disturbance in the Force."

"Why did you shudder?" Su Lin asked. It was a valid question, as the kitchen was beastly hot.

He looked confused. "I…I don't know…"

"Weird."

"Yeah. Oh well…maybe Tigress is plotting my doom…" he said sarcastically…and halfway hopefully.

Mei Xing smacked him in the back of the head. "Will you stop?! _She loves you_, Dalang, don't give up!"

"I'm not giving up," he argued. "If she wants to go ahead and date my brother…and marry him…and have his babies…" the grip he had on the knife handle was strong enough to make the females worry. Dalang took a quick deep breath to calm himself before faking a smile and a cheerful tone that made the fake smile look sincere, "Really, its _no_ skin off my nose…she can do _whatever_ she wants. It's not like there was any _history_ between us!"

"Dalang, maybe you should put the knife down…" Mei said softly. "You're kinda scaring us here."

Dalang let out a frustrated yell, slapping his hand down on the handle, making it twirl up into the air before catching the knifepoint in his claws and hurling it to the opposite wall. The long knife became embedded deep into the wall, halfway up the blade. Su hid behind Mei, who was also looking pale.

Dalang sighed raggedly, walking over to the wall and effortlessly yanking the blade out. "Sorry, I…I kinda lost control there…"

"You _think?_" Mei yelled. "You could've killed someone!"

"I _wanted_ to kill someone, Mei! I'm so damn angry at everything…"

"So you're going to risk going down the same path as Tai Lung?" the snow leopard accused.

"What do you care? You _hated_ him when he got here!" he fired back.

"Yeah, well things change!" she stood as tall as she could, getting in his face. Su Lin was the only one keeping out of it, the panda girl looking more and more worried by the minute. Mei just didn't know when to back down, even though there was a very pissed off tiger holding a knife standing in front of her. It was something the panda admired about the snow leopard, but also made her fearful. Tai Lung wasn't around to break this up or to save Mei from getting into trouble.

But Mei knew this. She also knew that she didn't need Tai Lung to protect her.

"Dalang, put down the knife," she said with authority, fists digging into her hips.

"Or what? What'll you do?!" he demanded.

She leveled her eyes at him. "Put…the knife…down," she repeated, a harder edge in her voice.

He stepped right up to her, knife still in hand. "And what will you do?"

Su Lin gasped as Mei Xing made her move. It was lightning-quick, and Dalang was shocked to feel pain in his solar plexus, nose, chin, instep, again in the solar plexus, then his back as Mei flipped him over her shoulder with a sharp yell, twisting his wrist to make him let go of the knife, which she caught and brandished over him.

The look in her eyes was frightening; he had never been on her bad side before, and now more than ever, Dalang was going to learn firsthand the meaning behind "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

"If you EVER—" she yelled, her voice as sharp as shattered obsidian, "EVER do something that stupid again, I will drop-kick you across the EMPIRE!" She stabbed the knife down onto the wooden cutting board on the counter and stalked away, snapping at a pair of waitresses who had poked their heads in to see what the commotion was, "Get back to work! MOVE IT!"

As the door closed, Dalang got back to his feet with help from Su Lin. "Thanks…"

"No problem," she said before slapping him hard. Dalang was utterly confused now. Was every woman in the valley going to have a go at him? But the panda surprised him the most; of all people, she was the last one he expected to actually raise her hand to him, let alone strike him! Her cute round face was scrunched up in her own version of fury…and it scared him, it really did.

"You are so selfish!" she snapped at him, "Selfish, arrogant and, and…stupid! You act like this is the first time you or anyone else has had their heart broken, and you're too proud to admit that if you had been honest with Tigress from the beginning, you wouldn't _be_ angry right now and she wouldn't be angry at _you!_ And now, now you have the gall to think none of this bothers you! Well let me tell you something, buster!"

She poked her finger into his chest, her other hand on her hip. "You're in denial! She was the best thing that ever happened to you, and you know it! If you could stop being so proud and so darned afraid of rejection and just apologize to her, then you could stop being so angry, and stop ruining life for the rest of us, you…you…you BONEHEAD!"

By the end of this tirade, Su Lin was panting, and Dalang and Mei were looking at her in shock. In an instant, the panda girl looked surprised by her own actions. "Wow…I don't know what came over me…"

"Did…did you call me a _bonehead_?" Dalang asked, still shocked. "No one's called me that since I was a kid…"

"Maybe not to your face," Mei smirked. "Way to go, Su, Tai Lung would've been proud…Though he may have used stronger words not meant to be heard by children…"

Su blushed, "I'm sorry Dalang, but that's just how I feel. You're not doing yourself any favors by moping and feeling sorry for yourself." And suddenly, she was back to being herself:

"You just gotta say, well okay, bad things happen, and even though my broken heart hurts, at least it lets me know I'm alive, and that I really did care for that person very, very much. It's not too late; maybe you can still salvage your relationship…I bet Tigress was really hurt by the things you said yesterday…"

"Way to make me feel like an even bigger dou—"

She cut him off before he could finish the swear word, "But if she was hurt by it, that means she _does_ still care about you! She loves you, and you love her! So what do you do?"

"Curl up into a little ball and cry in the corner because she's going to kill me when she sees me?"

"No!" She punched his arm and he actually cried out when it hurt. "No, you're going to march right up those steps and apologize to her, tell her what a bonehead you've been and tell her you love her! Now get going!"

"Su, dinner hour's starting soon…"

"NO MORE EXCUSES! GO!" she ordered, pointing out the door.

"FINE!" he yelled, throwing his hands up in surrender. He tore off his apron and flung it in the corner. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when we're swamped…" with that, he was out the door and on his way to the Jade Palace.

Mei stared open-mouthed at Su Lin. "Where did _that_ come from?"

The panda blushed, smiling sheepishly, "Well, Po _did_ tell me to be assertive…"

The snow leopard grinned. "I'll say! That was amazing! I've never seen you give it to someone like that before—I'm so proud!"

"Aww, it was nothing, really," she said, her face turning bright red. Mei hugged her and smiled, "You grown a lot, kiddo."

Su Lin hugged her back. "You've grown too, Mei. Especially around men…you're not afraid anymore!"

"No, I'm not…and it feels GREAT!" she grinned, exclaiming, "Who knew that ex-convict would help me get over my fear?"

"Yeah, you told me about the thing in the marketplace…"

* * *

Shifu had finally arrived outside the kitchen, having been told by a rabbit waitress that was where Dalang was expected to be. Instead, he found the tiger to be missing in action, and Mei Xing and Su Lin gossiping. Now they were talking about Tai Lung…

He didn't want to stay and hear it, but his feet refused to move, and his heart overruled his head. _Stay. Stay and listen. He is your son, you need to know…_

"…you told me about the thing in the marketplace…"

Mei laughed sharply, getting up and dancing around. "I'm not that bastard's wife anymore! Thanks to Tai Lung, I'm a free woman!"

Su Lin giggled, "And now you can find a man who'll treat you right, the way you deserve to be!"

Mei blushed, but smiled. "You know…oh never mind."

"No, what? What is it?"

"You're going to laugh."

"No, I'm not. Do you like someone? Who is it?" the panda asked excitedly.

"Who do you think it is?"

"Dalang?"

"No! He's spoken for! Besides, I wouldn't cross Tigress even if my life depended on it!"

Su's jaw dropped when her mind settled on the next possible match. "…Tai Lung?"

Mei hid her reddened face behind her hands. "See? I told you it was stupid…"

"Mei-Mei," Su said, using her pet-name, "That's not stupid, I think its sweet…"

"Imagine what people would think…"

"What do _you_ think? That's what's most important."

"I like him, Su…I just don't…_like_-like him, I think…I don't know. That day, when we went out into the marketplace together he…he told me about what happened to him in Chor-Ghom…" She grabbed the panda by the front of her dress, "And you are not to breathe a word of this to anyone, understand?!"

"Mei, relax, I don't need to know what happened…it's in the past, and we can't change it," she soothed.

The snow leopard sighed, relieved. "That's what I was hoping you'd say…okay, but, anyway, he told me what happened…"

"Right…"

"And we…we talked. Just talked. We didn't even yell at each other for like, I don't know, maybe an hour? About our…experiences," she said judiciously. She knew he'd told her in absolute confidence, and she expected to keep it come hell or high water. We talked about our lives, things like that, and…we were hugging each other the whole time." Mei blushed, "That was the first time I felt safe in a man's arms, Su…I mean, intellectually, I _shouldn't_ feel safe with him, considering his past…but, I did. And I do," she finished quietly. "I feel…safe when I'm around him."

Su Lin was beaming with joy. "That's so sweet…"

"Doesn't it strike you as a little ridiculous?"

"Not really," the panda said judiciously. "That's how I feel with Po—crap!" she slapped a hand over her mouth.

Mei's jaw dropped, her little confession forgotten. "Po? You? You and PO?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to let that out!"

"How long has this been going on?"

"It hasn't…really…" Su sighed. "I kissed him…then he sorta kissed me, and I smiled and…"

"Okay, Su, lets bring this back home…"

"Oh Mei," the panda said fretfully, much to the feline's surprise, "I can't be happy with Po if Dalang and Tigress are unhappy! I just _can't_! It doesn't feel right!"

"Dalang and Tigress need to work out their messes themselves," Mei said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Su, what happened wasn't your fault, and if they're jealous, _let_ them be! They know what they're missing, and both of them are too stubborn to do anything about it. Hell, you needed to _yell_ at Dalang to get his sorry tail up the Jade Mountain!"

Outside, Shifu almost cursed. He'd missed his chance! But hearing that little tidbit of information about Tai Lung was…most interesting… He was about to be rewarded with more.

"If Po makes you happy, Su," Mei continued, "Then don't hesitate. I think back on all the times I waited for something to happen, and it never did. There's no sense in waiting around for something or someone. If you want it, go after it."

"Maybe that's why Tai Lung went with Auntie…"

"What are you saying?"

"I gave him a journal, back a couple months ago."

"Right…"

"He says he's been using it, and before he left, he said he…he did something to help you. You have a picture of a starry night sky in your room…"

Shifu was confused; where was this going? But Mei apparently knew:

"That was him? He drew that?"

Su Lin looked guilty. "I peeked at his journal whenever he was out—I don't think he knows. He's an amazing artist. There's this picture of orchids sitting on a windowsill, the Jade Mountain, and even a picture of you!"

Mei stared at her. "There's…there's a picture of…me?"

Shifu froze. Tai Lung, an artist? More to the point, Tai Lung was caring about someone other than himself? When did _that_ start happening?

"Well," Su Lin said, "The eyes looked a little different, but he wrote that people are harder to draw than landscapes. Mei, I think he might like you too…"

"He's never acted like it."

"He's been nicer to you lately."

"That's not the same thing, Su…love and like are two completely different things…"

"But what if…" the younger woman asked, "What if he does?"

"I don't know," Mei admitted. "He's come a long way, but he still has a ways to go."

"How do you mean?"

"He needs to come to terms with his former master. And something tells me that Shifu's not willing to have anything to do with his former student."

"Aunt said Tai Lung was his son."

"If Shifu were a real father, he wouldn't have abandoned him to…to…" Mei stammered; how much was she going to tell Su Lin? "…to the abuse he suffered for twenty years. He would not have forsaken him like he did!"

Somehow, women always seemed to find just the right words to make the men in their lives feel like absolute jerks, Shifu thought. But his mind was plagued with doubt; should he or should he not accept his son back into his life? His life had been much simpler in the old days, before the rampage, before the leopard's heart had turned to darkness. Even in the past year, he found it surprising how quickly he came to forget the pain of everything that had gone wrong. Now it had resurfaced with the apparent resurrection and return of his prodigal son.

He felt he had heard enough, and overstayed his welcome. Besides that, storm clouds were forming on the horizon, and if he wanted to get back to the palace in time, he needed to leave soon. With any luck, he could avoid Tai Lung and Wu Lien altogether.

But secretly, he really _wanted _to run into them.

* * *

While Shifu had missed his chance to interrogate Dalang, Tigress had hers practically dropped at her feet with a nice big red bow planted on top of it. She and Viper were on their way down to meet up with Mei Xing and Su Lin and they came upon Dalang as he was on his way up.

Tigress crossed her arms, trying to hide the hurt in her expression. "What do _you_ want?"

Dalang knew this wasn't going to be easy; he sighed, looking at Viper, "Could you give us a minute?"

"Anything you want to say to me can be said in front of her," Tigress said coldly.

"Well, if you insist…see, about that hot date by the waterfall, and what we did under the willow tree…

"Viper, go on without me, I'll catch up," Tigress said quickly, fighting back a blush. The serpent looked between the two felines and slithered down a few steps until she was out of earshot…barely.

Dalang sighed again, "Sorry, I know that was a cheap shot…"

"What do you want?"

"Can't we just talk without unpleasantness getting in the way? I came to talk, so can we sit?"

She kept standing, glaring at him.

"Okay, fine, I'll sit, but that's only because there are a lot of stairs…" he plopped down by her feet, staring at his hands in his lap. How did he want to say this, how did he want to start?"

"Tigress, listen, the other day when…when I saw you and Shang…I…my reaction was inexcusable." He waited for her to say something; she didn't. "What I mean is…" he sighed. "I know I don't deserve it, and I know I hurt you, so I don't expect any forgiveness or leniency or even to walk away from this with all my organs intact, but I just wanted to say…" he looked up at her, their eyes locking, and he hoped she could tell how sincere he was from the look in his eyes, just as he could see the hurt and betrayal—and hope?—in hers.

"I…I'm sorry."

She just stared at him. He decided to elaborate, "I'm sorry for lying to you…I really only wanted to protect you. I was afraid you'd reject me if you knew the truth; you could have any man in the world, I know that, so why you even had a passing interest in me was…well, I didn't expect anything.

"You mean the world to me," he said quietly. "And I've been a complete idiot to ignore that…I was an idiot to think that you would do something with my brother like that. I realize he was the one to make the move, and if I should be mad at anyone, it should be him, not you. My heart was broken, and okay, I was bitter, but I didn't have any reason to be; but you do."

He sighed, looking back at his calloused hands. "Like I said, I don't expect forgiveness, but I just wanted to let you know that, even if you move on, find someone else, all I want is for you to be happy. I came up here with no expectations, but I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am…" he looked back up at her imploringly, his yellow-green eyes filling with tears, "and that I love you…and I always will."

She turned away from him and he hung his head. It was over, he knew it. It was over and done with. She wanted nothing more to do with him.

Then she did something that surprised him: she pounced on him, sending him flying into the grass by the steps, her lips crushed against his.

While not an entirely unpleasant experience, Dalang was shocked for lack of a better word. Of all the things he expected to happen, this was the very last thing on his mind.

When Tigress pulled away, there were tears brimming in her eyes, but she was smiling, "You love me? You really love me?"

"Gods yes," he said seriously. "I love you more than life itself. I'm a mess without you…"

"Just shut up and kiss me," she asked firmly, still smiling; he complied willingly. She broke the kiss again, whispering against his lips as joyful tears began falling down her cheeks.

"I forgive you, Dalang, and I love you, too. I'm sorry for slapping you…"

"I deserved that. But I don't deserve you," he hugged her tightly. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I thought I'd lost you forever."

"I love you, Dalang," she repeated, still crying. He pulled away and kissed her tears away, nuzzling her,

"Shh…no more tears…I never want to see you cry again, and I promise I'll never make you cry again."

"You damn well better not, for your own sake," she joked darkly; he laughed. "Oh believe me, I'm not making that mistake again!" he touched his nose to hers, "You're sure you forgive me?"

"Being related is a mistake of blood," she said. "My mother used to tell me that, and that friends are Heaven's apology for family. I was wrong to judge you like that, when you never judged me before…"

"I judged you, too, and I shouldn't have." He paused, "So…I guess we forgive each other, right? MMPH!" He grunted when she tackled him again, throwing him down onto the forest floor. He gasped as she started nuzzling and kissing his neck.

"You…want to recreate that date, I take it? Right now?" he gasped out.

"No," she purred, "I want to go further…"

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a pleasurable shiver ran up his spine, "R-really? How far?"

Her hands moved down his body, lifting up his shirt, and she ran her hands over his chest. She smirked right before kissing him passionately, "What do you think?"

"Viper's still waiting for you. And won't Shifu be…?"

"Shifu's not here," she purred. "And Viper can handle herself…"

He gasped as her hands dipped lower. Panting, he grinned, "That's what's up…" She giggled naughtily.

Below, Viper had overheard everything, and was still overhearing everything. Her face beet red and looking completely scandalized, she decided to continue on down into the valley. There was no way she could pass by the lovers even if she wanted to. The Snake Master continued down the steps, determined to explain that Tigress couldn't make it to the 'Girls Night In' because she was, ah, otherwise engaged…

* * *

Wu and Tai Lung sat meditating in front of the Pool of Sacred Tears, both their bodies aching from two strenuous days of training. Their backs ached, their feet were sore and still healing from the intense workout, and neither had slept a wink. They were exhausted, yet energized, and Tai lung couldn't remember the last time he felt so alive and so contented. Though he was sore, he had never felt better.

Wu Lien sighed and stood, brushing dirt and grass off her robe. "We should get back before the sun sets."

"So soon?" he asked, coming out of his trance-like state.

"I have taught you all I can, and now its time for your official initiation."

"Meaning?"

She smiled as she began packing their things, "Its time you took up your mother's fans…when the Jiao arrive, you will be ready."

"We should stop at the Jade Palace," he said, standing and shouldering the knapsack. "Warn the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five…"

She sent him an odd look, "And they would believe us?"

"Po would; the Five would fall like dominoes after him. They may not trust me, but they'll trust him."

"We don't know how big a threat we're coming up against."

"If what Shang said was true, I wager we can take them," the leopard said confidently. "The army itself may not be the problem, but once they fall, it's just the tigers. And I don't think they'll last long with seven warriors coming after them…"

"Actually, it may be closer to nine, ten, even eleven or more."

He arched an eyebrow. "How is that?"

"You're forgetting that Dalang and Shang will have to fight—they'll need to regain their honor. Then there's the possibility of Mei Xing and Su Lin—"

He cut her off, growling, "Over my dead body! They'll never see battle!"

"You think they're not ready?" she asked sharply.

"It's not that," his tone softened as they walked. "I just don't want them getting hurt…"

"Yes, I know of your feelings. Don't look so surprised, Tai Lung; you didn't exactly hide it well. I understand why you love Su Lin; everyone does. She's impossible to dislike. Now Mei Xing on the other hand…it's a natural attraction."

"I don't love her."

"Do you not?"

He thought about her question, and it seemed silly in his mind. He didn't really…did he? "I'm so confused…"

"Another spot of meditation when we return will do you some good," she said, patting his hand tenderly. "Now, as for the other warriors…"

"Yes, you mentioned the two brothers on our side…"

"Plus Shifu and myself."

"WHAT?"

She rapped his leg with her closed fan; he hated it when she did that, but he didn't raise the issue. He was tired, sore, and she would likely still hand him his tail on a silver platter if he said anything.

"Why, you think we can't fight because we're old?"

"I never said…"

"No, but I can respect that thought. That's the entire point. What do you think I've been teaching you? The Lotus style is all about deception. The enemy traditionally considers women weak—we use that expectation to our advantage, and give them one nasty surprise! Remember, the easiest enemy to defeat is one that comes to battle already having expectations of winning against you."

Tai Lung went silent, then sighed, "No wonder Po was able to beat me so easily…"

"That's why it's important for a warrior to remain humble. They need to accept that they may not win every battle, but…"

"A warrior is measured by how he—I mean, they—handle their losses," he finished.

Wu smiled approvingly, "Exactly."

He smiled back at her, then suddenly stopped, scooping her up into his arms and giving her a firm hug. She sputtered, asking in a high-pitched voice, "What on earth?"

"Thank you," he whispered, suddenly serious. "No one has believed in me like you have. Shifu believed I could be the Dragon Warrior, but you believed I could be something more. You never renounced me, and despite every, you stood by me. I don't think he or anyone else would have done that…"

"You're not giving him enough credit," she said, patting his cheek affectionately. "He loves you still, but he is a stubborn old codger. He'll come around once he sees you—the _real_ you."

"Do you think my parents are proud of me? Do you think they're proud of what I've done?"

Wu hugged him back, "I know they are…because I'm proud of how far you've come in just a year's time. I know they are smiling down at you as we speak."

"Thank you, again, Auntie."

Her heart soared when he called her that; she patted his back encouragingly. "Any time. Now, you can put me down so we can continue."

Instead, he put her on his shoulders, "But you're an old woman," he teased, "and you get tired easily."

"I'll show you an old woman!" she mock-threatened. He laughed, and so did she. And they enjoyed it while they could. Both of them knew, by the storm clouds forming over the mountains in the distance that the still air hearkened to more than the threat of rain. It foreshadowed another storm entirely.

* * *

Across the valley, the scenic gardens where Tigress and Dalang had first shared their love with a passionate evening much like the one they were currently enjoying was quiet and serene. The small waterfall bubbled and gurgled quietly and the long branches of the willow tree on the bank were swaying gently in the wind that had kicked up with the impending storm.

Behind the rocks that made up the ledge of the waterfall, a low rumbling could be heard, startling the birds nesting in the willow. Suddenly, a loud explosion tore apart the rock, sending debris and water flying in all directions.

Jiao Xiang crouched on the bank, his crazed eyes darting to and fro, bloodshot from the lack of drugs in his system. The savage strength it took for the tiger to tear through the rock was purely from the reserves of energy he relied on to get him to his next hit. Just one more hit, enough to keep him going…

Jiao Shen was the first to step into the twilight, casting a glance at the increasingly cloudy sky. "What rotten luck."

Feng jumped out, skipping over fallen rocks and patting his older brother on the shoulder, "Good job, Xiang."

"Need the fix…" he wheezed.

"You'll get your 'fix'," Shen sneered, "Once I have Dalang in my grasp. Find him, bring him back…kill whoever stands in your way."

Xiang's normally yellow eyes, now tinged red from fatigue and a severe lack of his drug of choice, darted around, settling on the black-clothed Creature. The Creature crossed his arms and glared back, sending shivers down the tiger's spine. Xiang was no pipsqueak: standing at six feet tall, though, he was the second-shortest of the tigers; Dalang had been about 5'10", but Xiang would not have remembered that. He was already quite far gone when Dalang had been banished. He barely remembered what he even looked like.

Feng whispered in his ear, "You'll find him at 'Aunt Wu's Dim Sum and Then Some', he's the only tiger there."

"Mischief, mischief," Xiang stuttered, making the youngest tiger nervous. Who knew exactly what was going on in his brain?

"Xiang," Shen barked. "I want that boy alive."

"Shang…Shang alive too, Baba?"

Shen curled his lip into a sneer. Damn those drugs and what they did to his son! Reducing his once-sharp brain into nothing more than the mind of a child, Shen cursed.

"Kill Shang. But I want Dalang alive. Now go."

With that, Xiang burst out of the garden, trampling flowers and vegetation underfoot as he ran like a rapid animal.

"That was a mistake, mate," the Creature remarked. "Ye ain't gonna see that boy again."

"Then he will have died for the glory of battle. And what of you? Aren't you supposed to deliver my boys to me?"

"If that's what ye wanted, why didn't ye send me? Unless ye want that boy t' kill hisself."

Shen whirled on the Creature, snarling as he got in his face, "And what would you do, if _that_ were your spawn?"

The Creature glared back, his single eye narrowed into a thin slit. He paused before stepping around the tiger and marching off after Xiang.

"Where are you going?!" Shen demanded.

"You ain't th' boss 'o me, Stripes," the Creature drawled. "An I'm goin' out to do what I promised: I'll bring both your boys back alive, then you can play with them how you like. I want the payment up front."

"We'll see," Shen seethed. The Creature continued to glare, wisely never turning his back on the tiger patriarch as he walked away.

* * *

Dalang collapsed breathlessly on top of Tigress, panting and sweaty from an intense and very passionate mating. Tigress gasped for air beneath him, her eyes closed and a blissful look on her face. He felt her body slacken beneath him, and he grinned breathlessly at the soft pleasurable purrs emanating from her throat. He had done that…and that smile on her face, that look in her gorgeous, gorgeous ruby eyes…he had done that. Pride swelled in his chest; oh yeah, he was feeling pretty damn good.

Tigress purred, kissing him passionately, having to break the kiss to catch her breath, "I love you," she whispered.

He grinned drowsily, kissing her closed eyelids. "And I you," he whispered, "Now and forever." He would have given anything just to lie by her side all night, or even better, to take her someplace perfectly private to repeat what they had just done. Judging by the way her hands moved over his back, she was thinking along the same lines.

Then both of them groaned when they heard thunder in the distance. Dalang cursed, sitting up, "Looks like we better get going…"

She nodded, sighing in disappointment as he handed over her clothes. Though she grasped them, he didn't immediately let go, his eyes roving over her beautiful body, "You know, for the record, I much prefer you like this…"

"Pervert," she giggled, playfully swiping at him as he laughed. She dressed quickly, eyeing the storm clouds that were quickly moving in. She was tying her sash around her waist, and smirking when she saw he wasn't bothering with a shirt. "I much prefer you without a shirt, myself."

"Really? Nothing more?" he asked playfully.

She giggled, blushing, "Well, you know…"

He grinned, nuzzling her and kissing her deeply, his fingers caressing her cheek. "Let's go to the restaurant, its closer anyway."

She nodded, slipping an arm around his waist, "Not to mention a better chance for privacy…"

He gulped, blushing deeply, "Ah, yeah, definitely…provided _he's_ not back yet…" No, he wasn't going to mention Tai Lung. How quickly would that ruin the mood? What she said next surprised him:

"Who cares what he thinks? I don't mind making him jealous—do you?"

Ye gods he loved this woman! He helped her to her feet, and stopped long enough to give her another deep, soulful kiss before they began their way down the steps.

"Your brother mentioned that your family wants to invade," she said after a long silence.

"So I heard," he said levelly. "When they come, I'll be ready."

"You haven't trained in a long time, will you be able to fight them?" she asked worriedly, gripping his hand.

He smiled and kissed her cheek reassuringly. "As long as I have you by my side, and as long as I know I have your love, that's all I need…"

He heard the rustling in the bushes far too late. Dalang turned to see who was there and was instead met by the Creature. The black-cloaked animal drew his twin swords and pounced on the taller tiger, who side-stepped, barely missing the blades as they struck the stones where he had been standing.

Tigress prepared to strike, ducking the swinging blades and delivering two harsh blows to the Creature's abdomen. The Creature doubled back, charging again at her, and was surprised to find Dalang's fist in his immediate line of vision.

Dalang stood between her and the assailant. "Get down to the village, now!"

"I can fight him!" she argued.

"I'm not risking you getting hurt!" he declared.

"I've dealt with worse!"

"Tigress, _please_," he pleaded. He kicked out, stepping forward and swinging his leg around, catching the Creature's chin. But the Creature was faster.

He jumped over Dalang's head, somersaulting in the air and landing behind Tigress, grabbing her roughly and holding one of his blades against her throat. She froze, quickly assessing her situation and figuring out the safest way out.

She made a disgusted noise when the Creature made a show of inhaling her scent. "Such a bonny thing…" he purred, "Yer a lucky son 'o a bitch, ye know that?" he asked Dalang, who took a step forward.

Tigress hissed as the blade came closer to her neck, threatening to break skin. "Ah, ah, ah, lad," the Creature mocked. "Another step closer, an' she'll be spillin' blood all over this 'ere crag."

"Let her go, right now," Dalang ordered.

"Oh I will," the black-robed cat growled, "Fer th' right price…" he sniffed Tigress again, remarking, "Damn, ye smell good…"

"Let her go right now," Dalang threatened, "And I won't kill you!"

"Ye sure ye want t' risk it, boy?" the feline pressed the blade closer against her throat, and Tigress knew that with the way he held her, and the proximity of the sharp edge to her jugular…she couldn't get out of this on her own. She'd be dead, one way or another. She was no damsel in distress, but she knew when to pick her battles. In this case, now she had something to live for, and he was standing there, contemplating how to save her.

"What do you want with her?"

"Believe it or not, this 'un ain't me priority," the Creature rasped. "You are."

Dalang reacted immediately, "Let her go, and I'll go with you peacefully."

"NO!" Tigress yelled. "He'll kill you!"

"If I don't, he'll kill _you!"_

"Face it, lass," the Creature whispered, "when it comes t' ye life, yer lover's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, so lets make this easy, eh?"

"Dalang, don't do this!"

The tiger ignored her, glaring at the Creature. "Let her go, and I'll go with you to face Jiao Shen."

"No fight?"

"No fight."

"What're yer terms?"

"She goes free!" he pointed at Tigress.

"Aye, we know that…" the feline rolled his one yellow eye.

Dalang became more specific; he knew from experience how to deal with men like this…thing. "You release her into my arms, unharmed, not a single scratch on her body, no wounds, not even a hair out of place, and you get me. But you need to hold your end of the bargain first."

"An' how do I know ye won't attack me when I do?"

"You're just going to have to trust that I won't."

The Creature thought about it, then shrugged, "Alright, done." He took away the sword from Tigress's throat and shoved her over into Dalang's waiting arms. Tigress shook him desperately, "What are you doing?!"

He kissed her forehead, "Just trust me; I know what I'm doing…"

"Dalang, you'll be killed!"

"That's a risk I need to take. I said I'd gladly die for you…" he said softly, stroking her cheek.

"While I'm young, lovebirds!" the Creature snarled.

Dalang sent a glare over to the one-eyed creature, then looked back at Tigress. She was shaking her head, mouthing 'no, don't do this'; he drew her tighter into his arms and kissed her deeply, prolonging it as long as he could. When he pulled away, he squeezed her hands, smiling encouragingly, "I'll be fine…I'll see you soon."

"I love you," she whispered.

"And I you," he said, repeating what he said earlier, "Now and forever."

Then he pulled away, and grimly walked away with the Creature leading him, possibly to his own doom.

* * *

God, this chapter kicked my ass. Hopefully its not the POS that I (my own greatest critic) think it to be. Please review?


	20. Before the Battle

Disclaimer: Still don't own it…this is getting a bit redundant, isn't it?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it helps to know I still got it. As for the many unanswered questions about what will happen, I'm afraid I can only say "just wait and see". We're in the home stretch, I'll tell you that much.

This is it, folks! The battle begins!

* * *

Chapter 19: Before the Battle

* * *

Tai Lung and Wu Lien made it back to the village just as the black storm clouds covered the village, darkening the sky with an ominous rumble of thunder in the distance. The snow leopard eyed the sky warily, feeling a chill. Wu noticed the fur on the back of his neck rising.

"You feel it too?" she asked.

"Something's not right," he nodded. "I have a bad feeling…"

"I do too…we need to get back to the restaurant. Hurry!"

He was still carrying her, and suddenly the load on his back mattered very little. Something was wrong, something was very wrong, and he could feel it. An increasing amount of dread fell like a weight in his stomach, and his mind began racing with worry.

There's something wrong at the restaurant…someone we know is in trouble…but who? He hoped and he prayed that it was neither of the girls…then he understood. Dalang. Something was seriously wrong with Dalang.

Up ahead, he spotted a tall tiger, and the worry dissipated. Then the leopard saw it wasn't Dalang.

"Shang!" he called out, alerting the taller cat. Shang looked back and looked relieved, "Praise the gods! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"What's going on?" Wu asked, noting the tiger's pale expression.

"Dalang's gone," Shang said. "He's not at the restaurant, and the girls said he'd gone to meet Tigress…"

"How long ago?"

"Two, maybe three hours ago. This storm has brought more than rain and thunder, I can feel it."

Wu hopped down from Tai Lung's shoulders and started running off in the direction of her home and livelihood. "You left the girls alone?!"

"Why, aren't they safe?" Shang asked, just as anxious.

Tai Lung took off the knapsack and thrust it into Shang's arms. "I'll go on ahead to make sure they're alright, I'm faster than either of you."

"Go quickly," Wu said. "Don't stop for anything, we'll catch up!"

With that, the leopard was off and running, leaving the pair behind. Shang watched him run off, then asked Wu, "He's nothing like the person I expected him to be."

"That was the old him," the red panda explained. "He still has a few things to work out, though."

"Like with Master Shifu?"

Wu sighed, "It seems we all have something to work out with that stubborn old fool…"

* * *

Tai Lung hurried down the street, jumping up onto the rooftops to move faster. A flash of lightning overhead made him rethink that strategy and he jumped back down onto the dusty street. If lightning struck the highest point, and considering he probably wasn't a good conductor of electricity, he didn't want to risk finding out whether or not that hypothesis was correct.

He was a block away from the restaurant, but then he skidded to a stop in front of the last person he was expecting—or wanted—to see.

Shifu stared up at his former student in surprise; his student looked just as shocked, and even a little guilty. Shifu had not seen that look on his student—no, his son's—face in a long time. The thought popped into his head; what if Wu Lien was right after all? What if he had changed? Well, time to test the theory…

"Tai Lung," Shifu nodded in acknowledgement. "I see you're doing well—"

The leopard interrupted him, demanding, "Where are they?! Are they still in the house?"

"Who?"

"Su Lin and Mei Xing! Are they still there?! Tell me!"

Shifu looked at him, studying him. Was he…worried about them? He asked, "Why are you so concerned with them?"

"ANSWER ME!"

"YES! They're still there! They were talking in the kitchen, is that what you wanted to hear?!" Shifu demanded.

Tai Lung let out a relieved sigh, "Thank the gods, I thought something had happened."

"And what would happen, pray tell?"

"Oh I don't know," the leopard said sarcastically, "Maybe an invasion? Maybe those girls would be attacked by some…crazed lunatic?! Some soldier deciding they're attractive and proceeding to violate and/or kill them?!"

"Why are you concerned about them?"

"Why do you _think?!_ Those girls mean more to me than any of your students _ever_ did!"

"How _dare_ you make that assumption! I've loved every single…"

"Bull!" the leopard seethed. "Dalang told me what Tigress told _him_—you never cared for the Five; and you had a funny way of showing you cared for me!"

"Oh, so you're going to blame me for all your problems?" Shifu countered. "You made your own decisions, you are an adult, and you need to accept responsibility like one!"

"What makes you think I haven't?!" he yelled.

They stood stock-still, glaring at each other for a good long moment. This was not how Tai Lung was hoping this would go, but it was going exactly as Shifu expected it would.

The red panda shook his head, "I want to believe you."

"Then why don't you? Because I tried to kill you?"

"That could have something to do with it, yes."

The leopard scowled, "That wasn't personal."

"Of course not. And I suppose you still want the Dragon Scroll."

"HANG the scroll!" he seethed. "I don't give a damn about that anymore! You think I'm just here to cause trouble; did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, I was trying to get my life on track? Did it occur to you that I'm trying to regain my honor? I dishonored you, I dishonored the name of kung fu, but most of all, I dishonored myself."

Shifu's eyes widened. Tai Lung—his son—was taking responsibility? "What?"

Tai Lung's hardened expression softened, but only a little, "For the first time in twenty years, I have a family—a real family—one that cares for me, worries about me, and loves me, just as I am. Auntie has given me the tools to make things right, and by heaven, I'll do it! I don't know how, yet, but I'm going to make things right!"

A feminine voice called out, "Tai Lung?" Mei Xing poked her head out the door, and smiled when she saw him. "There you are! Welcome back…" she trailed off when she saw Shifu standing there. "Um…should I give you two a minute?"

"No," the red panda said, taking up his staff. "We're done here."

Tai Lung narrowed his eyes at the master. "You're wrong about me."

"We'll see about that," Shifu said, walking past him. As the red panda took his first steps past the leopard, Tai Lung felt a chill run down his spine, and then his inborn instincts kicked in, just before Mei screamed in horror.

The leopard bounded after the master, roaring, "Get down!"

Shifu whirled, seeing the leopard coming straight at him; he fell into a fighting stance and awaited the blow that never came. Tai Lung sailed through the air, right over the master's head, and tackled the creature that had snuck up behind him. The red panda whirled back around and saw Tai Lung exchanging blows with an Amur tiger with bloodshot eyes and a foaming mouth. But that wasn't what surprised him.

Tai Lung had saved his life.

The leopard dodged the heavy punches and slashing claws aimed for his face and chest, clearly on the defensive against the rabid, psychotic tiger, who roared with a primitive savagery that frightened the red panda.

He felt someone tugging on his arm; Mei Xing was practically dragging him inside. "Let's go!"

"I can fight him," Shifu snapped.

"Over my dead body, shorty," she snapped back, yanking him up into her arms and carrying him inside. "Su Lin!"

"What's going on?" the panda girl asked, looking terrified.

"No time! I need a hairpin, quick!"

"Why?"

"I need to get into Auntie's chest, NOW!"

Su Lin pulled a hairpin from her hair and handed it to the leopard who bounded up the stairs, leaving Shifu with the other female. Su Lin implored, "Master Shifu, please, what's going on?"

Shifu looked as worried and confused as she did. "I…I have no idea."

Mei ran back down the stairs, holding something wrapped in red silk. She bounded for the door, and Shifu stopped her with his staff.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Helping him!" she said, jumping over the staff. Bounding out the door, she ducked as Jiao Xiang leapt through the air, then found himself flipped onto his back by the powerful leopard warrior.

"Tai Lung, catch!" Mei yelled, throwing the bundle at him. He caught it and quickly unwrapped it. He grabbed his father's knife, then tossed it back to her, taking up his mother's fans. "Keep that safe!" he yelled. "And stay back!"

Mei tucked the fighting knife into her sash and stood back, watching in awe as she witnessed Tai Lung in action for the first time. When he sparred with Po, he was usually alone with the panda. The few times she had seen him fight was when he was training her. And now, she was about to see his true power.

Xiang stood, snarling and gnashing his teeth like a wild animal, the pupils and irises of his eyes contracted until they were mere pinpricks in his skull. Tai Lung had never seen so much of the whites of a cat's eyes; he knew he was up against one hell of an opponent. The rabid tiger laughed maniacally. "Watcha got there, pussy cat? You gonna fight with fans? You a woman?" his laugh sent chills down the leopard's spine, but Tai Lung stood firm.

Shifu and Su Lin joined Mei at the doorway, watching with wide eyes. Su Lin gripped Shifu's shoulder, "Can't you do something?"

Shifu didn't answer; he was interrupted when Tai Lung snapped open the fans.

_Shnnk_!

Xiang's confident expression waned as lightning overhead illuminated the polished steel of the fans. Tai Lung smirked, "I may not be a woman…but I'll have you screaming like one in a minute." Then he charged.

Wu Lien and Shang came running into the restaurant a minute later, Wu into Shifu's arms. "Thank heaven you're here! What's going on?!"

"Xiang!" Shang's face paled. "Dear gods! They're in the valley!"

"What?" Shifu's blue eyes widened. "The invasion has started?!"

Wu shook him by the shoulders. "Where is Tai Lung?"

Shifu pointed and Wu followed his astonished gaze…and smiled. "Well, will you look at that…"

Shifu watched in awe as he witnessed something he never expected; he had never wanted Tai Lung to focus on the use of props or weapons in fighting, but to focus on his own strength. Here, he saw how light-footed the leopard had become, and the metal fans flashing in the lightning strikes that were becoming more and more frequent.

The fans twirled in the air, balancing on his fingers, and he slashed at the tiger multiple times, drawing blood quickly and easily. But Xiang refused to go down. Tai Lung was getting worried. With the number of hits he was getting in, this mad tiger should have fallen a long time ago.

He called over to Shang, "So what's this one's story?" He blocked a swipe by slashing at the tiger's arm, splitting open the flesh.

"You're not going to win that way!" Shang said. "He's rabid, lost his mind…in this state, he's invincible!"

"You could have told me that sooner!" the leopard yelled, dodging a swipe by falling into a split before jumping right back up and straight into the air, kicking out sharply. Xiang took the foot to the face and was propelled backwards, airborne for a good thirty seconds before hitting the ground many yards away.

"I didn't teach him that," Shifu gasped.

Wu smiled proudly. "No, but I did."

Shang stepped forward, grabbing a staff leaning by the door. "I don't suppose you have any weapons I could use?"

"Aside from that and a few kitchen knives, no such luck," Wu said.

Shang cursed, "If only Dalang were here; he was an expert with knives."

"Are you going in to fight?" Mei asked incredulously.

"Tai Lung needs a break, he's getting fatigued," Shang pointed out. "Did he get any rest over the past two days?"

Wu looked guilty suddenly, then stepped forward. "Out of my way, boy. His fatigue is my fault…"

"Don't be stupid!" Shifu said, grabbing her arm. "That tiger will kill you!"

She tore her arm out of his grasp. "Shame on you! You're just as small as I am, and you could fight him just as easily."

He stared at her for a moment, then raised his staff, "Alright, then I will."

Shang took the open chance and sailed past the leopard, catching Xiang around the middle and punching hard. "Tai Lung, fall back! I got him!"

Xiang reacted in kind, grabbing his brother by the neck and hurling him against the wall of the restaurant, collapsing the wall with the impact the older brother made. Covered in rubble, Shang groaned, feeling pain shooting up his back. That wasn't a good sign. Xiang jumped forward, landing right in front of his brother, grinning madly. He chuckled, "Baba wanted Dalang alive, yes, yes he did…but he wants you dead!" He raised his claws to strike.

The blow never came. Shifu's staff hit the tiger right in the throat, stunning him for a moment. Wu was in next, hitting the tiger's pressure points with her closed fan. Her fingers hit a pressure point in the tiger's knees, making his legs buckle and fall. Shifu grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and amazed the onlookers with a show of nimbleness and strength that belied his size, throwing the crazed feline a fair distance.

Wu looked impressed. "And how old are you?"

"I never asked your age, so don't tempt me."

She slapped his arm, and he flinched a little.

Mei Xing ran out to Tai Lung, who was panting and exhausted. "You need a rest."

"Shang's injured, and Shifu and Auntie can't hold that tiger off for long," he said, gasping for air.

"Then let me and Su fight!"

"NO," he snapped, glaring at her. "I'm not putting you in danger!"

"We're already in danger; Tai Lung," she looked him right in the eye, just like she had done when they had first met. "Please, just trust me…"

"What will you do?"

She smirked, "You'll see. But first, I'm going to need one of your fans…"

Xiang came back at the two red pandas, who assumed the fighting stance. Just as the tiger came up to them, all three of them were surprised to find a wok slamming into his face. Shang stood by with another, just in case, while Su jumped in and whistled sharply, "Hey, ugly! Over here!"

"What are you doing?!" Wu shrieked. But it was too late; Xiang roared and jumped to the panda, throwing a punch that completely decimated the wall she was standing in front of. One minute she was there, the next, she was gone. Confused, the tiger looked up, only to find two panda feet hitting him hard in the face.

He fell back across the street, landing on his back. Mei jumped on his stomach, taking the wind out of him, then hopped up to the eave of the restaurant's first floor. Striking a pose meant to entice him, she curled her finger, beckoning him, "Come and get it, hon."

Xiang snarled and jumped up to the roof after her. Mei made it to the second floor and dashed across the tiles as raindrops began to fall. She snapped open the metal fan, searching the skies. She knew this was dangerous; she could feel all eyes on her. She turned 'round as she reached the edge of the roof and hurled the fan at Xiang.

"Catch!"

Xiang caught the fan and raised it high over his head to bring down on her.

The lightning bolt hit its mark.

It shook the roof, causing Mei to lose her footing and fall with a shriek. An instant later, she had fallen safely into Tai Lung's arms, shielding her from the worst of the strike. They landed back on the ground safely, surrounded by their friends.

A second later, Xiang fell to the ground with a sickening thud, his fur blackened and charred, visible electricity still dancing over his fur and the metal fan still in his hand. He was stone dead.

The six let out a sigh of relief. Tai Lung shook Mei by the shoulders.

"Don't you EVER do ANYTHING like that again, DO YOU HEAR ME?" he yelled. Mei Xing looked frightened for a moment before he drew her back into his arms, hugging her tightly. "You could have been killed!"

"I'm sorry," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I won't do something like that again, I promise…"

"You damn well better not!" he said sternly, but he was smiling. "I have to admit, though, that was well-played!"

"Agreed," Shifu said. "Quite smart."

"I'm just doing what my teacher told me to do," she said, poking the male leopard's shoulder. "Use what strengths I have to my advantage. I was just smarter than _he_ was."

"And how," Shang agreed, kicking his brother's body to see if he was truly dead. He looked back at them, "If they're in the valley, we need to evacuate."

"Where?" Shifu asked, "The Thread of Hope is destroyed…again."

"The Palace!" Wu exclaimed. "It's a veritable fortress! Send the citizens to the Jade Palace, it can hold them all!"

"But how do we warn them?" Su asked. "It's not like we have a big distress signal…"

"Yes we do," Tai Lung said, letting Mei Xing go. "The flares; you set them off twenty-one years ago when I went on that rampage. The villagers will understand—alert the magistrate's guards, they'll take care of the rest."

Shifu wasn't going to argue; now was not the time for it. "Good idea—Shang, can you run and warn them?"

"If they'll believe me," the tiger said dourly.

"They'll believe us!" Su Lin said. "Me and Mei, we'll raise the alarm!"

"And I know the quickest way to the flares," Shifu said. He looked at Wu, "I'll need help setting them off."

"Then I'll go with you. Tai Lung, go up to the Palace and get the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior—we need to prepare for battle!"

* * *

Tai Lung was dashing up the steps of the Jade Mountain, halfway to the palace when the night sky became tinged with red. He paused long enough to look over his shoulder. Wu and Shifu must have gotten to the flare station safely. In the next moment, the drums and gong surrounding the village began to beat, the alarm for the villagers. Far below, the shouts of the magistrate's guards could be heard getting the families together for the evacuation to the palace.

He didn't have much more time. Turning back around, he stopped short.

It was Tigress.

"I don't have time to fight," he growled. "There's something you need to…"

"Dalang's gone!" she cried. Tear stains streaked down her cheeks. "They've taken him!"

He felt ice flowing through his veins. "What?"

"He's gone to fight his father!" she said desperately.

Tai Lung snarled, "That _idiot!_ Is he _trying_ to kill himself?!"

"I don't know!" she hugged herself. He felt a great amount of empathy for her in that moment.

"You still love him, don't you?"

"Tai Lung, he's going to die!" she said, her tears mingling with the pouring rain.

He climbed the few steps between them and hugged her, "We'll bring him back, I promise."

"How?"

"I don't know yet…I'll think of something."

"He's gone already, has he?" a male voice drawled behind them. The two felines turned and saw Feng standing against a tree, smirking. "Makes my job a bit easier…"

Tai Lung returned the smirk, "Not so much—you've lost one more brother, and its not Shang."

Feng's face blanched, "Xiang? How?"

Tai lung shrugged, "I suppose Mother Nature didn't like him much. She can be a real bitch sometimes."

Feng snarled, but stepped back when he saw Tigress. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she strode forward, her face in a fearsome grimace, teeth bared in a snarl. Though he was much taller than her, Tigress strode right up to him and grabbed him by the lapel, slamming him against the tree so hard it shook loose the leaves.

"Where is he?" she gritted out, her eyes burning.

"Who?"

"DON'T PLAY WITH ME!" she roared, choking him. "WHERE IS DALANG?"

Tai Lung grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away, remarking, "Easy, Princess…he's no use to us dead. Besides, killing someone just isn't your style—you should leave that to me."

Feng spit at them. "You don't have the nerve!"

"Don't I?" Tai Lung challenged. "Do you know who I am?"

Feng paused; Tai Lung sent a wink to Tigress; she looked back at him, confused.

"So, what is it that old Shen wants, hmm?" the leopard asked, crossing his arms. "I heard conflicting accounts: he wants the Dragon Scroll, the Dragon Warrior himself, to conquer the Valley of Peace…"

"The answer's D, all of the above," Feng smirked. "You are clearly a valued warrior, one who must know the Dragon Warrior!"

"And what does Shen want with Dalang?" Tigress demanded.

"Dalang has dishonored our family—he walks to his own execution." Feng smirked at Tigress's distraught expression. "Oh, poor thing," he mocked. "You loose your innocence to him, then the moment you declare your undying love, he's dead by the next dawn…"

Normally, before spending a year in the company of mostly women, Tai Lung probably would not have been bothered by these comments. But seeing the look on Tigress's face reminded him too much of how Mei Xing was treated; and now he was pissed.

He was the one to slam Feng up against the tree this time, causing the remaining leaves to fall. The leopard hissed through clenched teeth, "Lets make a wager: you stall the execution until dawn—wait for the Dragon Warrior to appear, then you can have two executions for the price of one."

"You _bastard_!" Tigress shrieked. "How dare you—"

He whirled and backhanded her sharply, "Shut _up_, woman!" She glared back at him; he'd need to apologize later and let her get in a few punches to make up for it. He turned back to Feng, "So how does that sound? Let Shen know that…"

"I'd much rather you tell me yourself."

The three felines turned and saw Jiao Shen standing on the steps, the hood of his red fur-lined cloak up over his head, shielding him from the downpour. The patriarch cast a look over the scene, his gaze resting on the leopard, "You have a proposition?"

"You want the Dragon Warrior, and the scroll."

"I do. And you are?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that I can deliver both to you—the valley is practically yours by now—who will fight you?"

"The Furious Five of course," Shen said, raising an eyebrow.

Tai Lung thumbed Tigress, "Not if one of them risks losing her lover by fighting."

Shen looked over at Tigress, who glared back at him. "You and Dalang, eh?" he studied her, checking her out; she wanted to claw his face off. "It would seem my failure of a son has good taste, Master Tigress."

She told him to do something very obscene to himself, then she flashed a rude gesture.

"Ah yes, Dalang always did prefer stronger women…probably to fight his own battles, the weakling."

"Enough!" Tai Lung yelled. "You stay Dalang's execution, and we have a trade: Dalang for the Dragon Warrior. We hand you the Warrior, we get Dalang back."

"My son means more to you than your champion?" he asked curiously.

"Meet me at the gates of the village—outside the town—at dawn. I will have the Dragon Warrior for the trade."

"And the scroll?"

"As good as yours," Tai Lung assured.

"And the girl?" Shen asked, looking Tigress over again.

"Up yours!" Tigress snarled.

"Agreed," the leopard said. "She was never part of the deal. However, I do know of one rather nice girl in the red light district who's very fond of some _very_ unholy acts…"

"No deal," Shen said.

"I'd be interested in that," Feng spoke up.

"No deal," Tai Lung said, agreeing with Shen. "Alright, how about this: You get the Dragon Warrior, the Dragon Scroll, _and_ the Jade Palace…all for the price of your son, Dalang, going free."

"WHAT?" Tigress roared.

Shen thought about it, then held out his gloved hand. "Done."

"Not done!" Tigress growled. She dug her claws into Tai Lung's arm, "What are you _doing?_"

"I'm saving your boyfriend's ass, now let me do my work. The deal is done!" he shook Shen's hand once, gripping it so tightly, the tiger winced. He shook the pain out of the appendage when the leopard let go.

"The outer gates, at dawn."

The leopard nodded. "Dawn."

Shen nodded his head to Feng, who followed in his footsteps, casting glares over his shoulder at the two warriors still standing on the steps.

Tigress punched the leopard. "You son of a bitch!" she shrieked. "How could you?! You're giving up—"

"I'm giving up the Dragon Warrior," he winked, making sure she saw it. "After all, the _real_ Dragon Warrior is supposed to protect the valley in which he grew up, yes?"

Tigress paused, staring at him, then it slowly dawned on her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"If it's the Dragon Warrior Shen wants, then it's the Dragon Warrior he'll get. Go back and alert the others. We're evacuating the villagers to the Palace."

"We're going to fight Shen's army?"

"No, we're going to meet them for tea and crumpets," he said cynically. "Of course we're going to fight them."

"You have a plan?" she asked.

"Mostly," he hesitated.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" she criticized. "Or are you making this up as you go?"

"A little of column A, a little of Column B. I need to get back to the village to pick up a couple things—I'll join you all at the palace; Shifu is on his way. We'll meet in the Hall of Warriors, and work out a plan."

"Why should we trust you?"

Tai Lung paused, then sighed, "You probably shouldn't. I'm going to ask you to do things that will be very difficult. I don't expect you to like it…"

"Will it save Dalang?" she begged. Tai Lung looked down at her and saw the look in her eyes. She loved Dalang, enough to follow him to the afterlife. He wouldn't let that happen.

"Come hell or high water," he vowed, "You will see him again."

* * *

Tai Lung was used to the staring now; glares too. The villagers had all been evacuated to the Jade Palace, many holed up in the various halls. Shifu had ordered all available space be made for the villagers to weather out the storm. Tents had popped up in the arena and Courtyard outside the training hall. The obstacle course that the Five trained on was put away to make room, and for safety concerns as well. The Hall of Warriors would also need to be used eventually as temporary housing.

But for the time being, the Five, Aunt Wu's clan, Po, Tai Lung, Shang, and Master Shifu all sat in front of the Moon Pool, around an ornamental brazier, warming themselves from the chill the raging storm brought. It looked like a monsoon outside, and the warriors had to admit to feeling glee at the misfortune of Shen's troops to be caught in this mess.

As soon as Tigress and Tai Lung explained what had happened on the steps, an uproar from the rest of the Five came up.

"How can you give up Po?" Monkey demanded.

"Don't you have any decency?!" Crane snapped.

Tai Lung just sat back and let them vent until Po stood up for him, "Hey guys! Take it easy, I'm pretty sure that's not what he's planning…right?" he glanced at the leopard.

"No, its not. Master Tigress actually gave me the idea," he nodded at her. "Shen wants the Dragon Warrior and the Dragon Scroll. I have news for you: he's not getting either."

"Well _duh_," Viper said. "But how are you going to keep up that bargain without him getting suspicious?"

"Simple: I'm going on the assumption he has no clue that Po is the Dragon Warrior—to him, a panda being the greatest warrior ever known would be unbelievable, and laughable, just like I thought it to be."

Shang nodded, "I see where you're going with this…one of you is to pose as the Dragon Warrior, leaving Po time to…" he trailed off. "Alright, I don't know."

Wu set down her fan and laid out her idea. "How about this: The Five, Po, and Shang take on Shen's troops. There's between five to six score."

"That'll be easy," Mantis said. "We've dealt with worse numbers."

"More to our advantage," Shang said, "They're all mercenaries, maybe a handful are actually loyal to my father. If they see their comrades go down, they will fall as well."

"But that leaves your father and brother," Shifu said. "Not to mention getting Dalang out of there."

"That's where we come in, Shifu dear," Wu winked. "Since you and I are so small, we can sneak into camp while the army and the Jiao's are distracted, and get Dalang out that way before any harm befalls him."

Shifu rubbed his throat uneasily, "Its risky."

"This whole idea is, Master," Po pointed out. "But we can swing it. I think Tai Lung has a good idea going here…"

"But who will pose as Po?" Monkey asked.

The leopard smirked and took out his secret weapon. "Su Lin, I will be forever grateful you made this for me." He unfolded a black shirt—the one she had made—that had golden dragons curling up the sleeves, and one emblazoned on the back.

Po and Shifu both smiled at the cleverness—and audacity—of the plan. "Of course…" Po said. "Shen's more likely to believe _you_ are the Dragon Warrior."

"Living out the dream, are you?" Shifu asked with an arched eyebrow. Though there was a frown on his face, his eyes sparkled with mirth. Tai Lung returned the gesture.

"Look at it this way, if I am wounded, or worse, Po can always come in and use his own secret weapon. I would be up against two tigers—I can swing it."

"Feng maybe," Shang said. "Shen will be the real challenge."

"Plus there's that creature too," Tigress said, and she described what had happened when Dalang gave himself up. Shifu and Wu sat quietly, contemplating this new piece of information.

"This black creature may present a problem," Shifu said. "Especially if he's guarding Dalang…"

"Which begs the question, where would he be?" Wu asked Shang.

"The back of the line, behind the army," the tiger explained. "We would need to make a path for you, but it can be done."

"We can make it," Wu said, turning to Shifu. "We're not as young as we used to be, but I'd say we're still good at going by unnoticed. He nodded, "It shall be done. Now, how to get him out of there, and where to take him?"

"He's safest here, isn't he?" Po asked.

Su Lin spoke up, "Mei and I can wait inside the gates for you. When you get inside the walls, all four of us can make it back to the Palace."

"Better yet," Mei said. "You two would likely be tired—Su and I can make it in half the time…"

"But what if Dalang wants to fight?" Tigress asked.

The circle fell silent. Shifu finally spoke up, "There's a collection of knives in the armory. Shang, you said he was a master at knife-fighting?"

"And throwing. My instincts tell me you may have to fight your way back—hiding yourselves is easy; hiding him will be a challenge," the tiger explained.

"So be it. We'll take him those knives, then we'll see what he can really do…"

"Are we forgetting anything?" Mei asked. "I mean, if Su and I are taking him to safety that frees you two up to join in the battle if needed…"

"But what if Dalang still wants to fight?" Su asked.

"You know the pressure points to knock him out, and Master Shifu knows the nerve attacks."

"The old knock him out and carry back approach?" Crane asked with a smirk. Mei returned the sardonic grin, "Naturally."

Tai Lung sighed, taking off the old white shirt he'd been wearing and putting on the black dragon shirt. "So we all know our roles?"

Everyone sitting around the circle nodded. "Your plan had better work," Monkey said.

"It will," the leopard said. "I'll make sure it does." Yet, despite his confidence, the leopard had his own doubts. This was the first time he had ever planned anything this complex; there were too many things that could go wrong. He looked around the circle and got a sinking feeling that this might be the last time he saw any of them. Any one of them—or more—could be dead by tomorrow's sunset. And he would have to live with that for the rest of his life.

Unless he were dead by sunset, too.

* * *

The Five, Po, Tai Lung, Su Lin and Mei Xing all crowded into the dormitory, finding space was just as limited. The dormitory was actually much larger than the eight rooms down one hallway where the Furious Five and Po slept. It was a large structure, with perhaps over 100 rooms, which had housed as many as 200 students at one time; specifically, when Shifu was just a young child, training in kung fu under Master Oogway.

Those days had passed.

Tigress and Viper decided to share a room that night, so the serpent could offer support for the feline. Monkey, Mantis and Crane all slept in Monkey's room, with Po moving his bedroll over to give his room to the one small family of…

"KITTY!"

Tai Lung groaned, "I _knew_ something felt off…"

Baby Fu waddled down the hall, attaching himself to the leopard's leg. Mei Xing laughed uproariously at the display, smirking at Tai Lung's expression. "Oh come on…he's just so adorable!"

The male leopard sighed, glaring down at the leveret, who just smiled and cooed up at him. "Isn't it past your bedtime, you little scamp?"

"Yes it is," Fu's mother said, yanking her baby away. "Sorry for that, my mother-in-law was supposed to keep an eye on him…"

"No trouble. Is everything…?"

The rabbit nodded, "We're as well as can be…planning for the worst, but hoping for the best. You know how that goes."

He nodded, "Yes, I know what you mean."

"Mama, kitty wanna play!"

"Kitty will play later," she told him. "Kitty needs his sleep, just like you."

"That's right," he said. "Kitty needs sleep—if you want to be big and strong like kitty, you need to get _lots_ of sleep…"

Fu immediately rested his head against his mother's shoulder and closed his eyes, feigning sleep. His mother bit her lip to keep from laughing and Tai Lung shook his head good-naturedly.

"Have a good night, Mr. Tai Lung," she said.

"You too, ah…" Seriously? He didn't know her name, after all that had happened?

"Mrs. Chin," she helped.

"Yes. Yes you are. Have a good sleep, Mrs. Chin."

He strode off down the hall, looking for a place to sit and sleep, stopping when someone cleared their throat.

"Your room is still available," Shifu said. Tai Lung turned around to stare at his former master. "What?"

"No one's touched it since…" the red panda didn't want to bring it up. "Ah, anyway, it might be a little dusty."

"Is it locked?"

"I unlocked it. It's yours for tonight. Sleep well."

"You too."

The conversation finished, they each walked off in their respective directions. The leopard felt Mei's hand on his arm. "I can clean off the dust…"

"I'll be fine." Then he opened the door and winced. A thick blanket of dust covered the Spartan surroundings; when Shifu had said no one had touched it in twenty years, clearly, no one had touched it in twenty years.

"Then again, maybe not."

Mei giggled, walking to a nearby closet. "We'll work on this together, at least mop up the floor…"

He made a face as he lifted his foot and saw a definitive footprint left behind. "Good plan."

* * *

It took less time than they expected, and soon the leopard's old room was sparkling clean. So clean, he could practically see his reflection in the floor.

Mei threw the dirty dust cloth into a bucket and shoved it all into a corner, smiling at the surroundings. "Not much for decoration, are you?"

"I didn't have time for things like that." he thought for a moment, "I wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

He stood up and walked over to his bed. He got onto his hands and knees, rapping his knuckle against the floorboards until he heard a hollow sound. Pressing down on the loose floorboard, he lifted it up, carrying dust and cobwebs with it. He reached down into the hidey hole and grinned.

"I'll be damned! They're still here!"

Mei got up and sat next to him as he pulled things out. She smiled at the display: it was a child's treasure trove. A bag of marbles, assorted kung fu training props for children, a couple books of fairy tales and epics, and a very familiar tome: "The Art of War". She picked it up as he rummaged for more.

"You read Sun Tzu?"

"Well, I _was_ training to be a warrior."

"How much do you remember?"

"All of it. I memorized it; in prison, I recited it in my head to keep myself sane."

"So you _do_ know what you're doing," she smiled.

"I hope so," he said dejectedly. His hand came in contact with something soft, and he stopped. Could it be? He pulled it out and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was a stuffed panda bear he'd been given before he could remember, a likely gift from either Shifu or Oogway; probably the former. He thought he'd lost this thing years ago!

How ironic now, that the stuffed toy that brought him comfort was the same species as the first real friend he ever had in his adult life. Mei sat a little closer, brushing some dust off the stuffed bear's head, rubbing it off the button eyes until they gleamed like Tai Lung remembered. "And who's this?" she asked sweetly.

"Ping," he smiled wistfully, remembering the nights as a child where he'd snuggle up to the stuffed bear and talk to him as if he were real, then fall asleep hugging the toy in his arms. No, Ping had been more than a toy to him.

Mei rested her head on his shoulder, "So, Ping the panda, eh?"

He smiled fondly. "I thought I lost him when I turned ten…I was being stupid and wanted to throw him away."

"Maybe Shifu found him and kept him?"

That hadn't occurred to him; that would have _never_ occurred to him! But suddenly, Mei's words made perfect sense, and now this little stuffed bear—his first friend—meant more to him that it ever had. This was proof…this was_ proof_ that Shifu had loved him at one time…and maybe still did.

She looked at him, "Are you alright?"

He nodded, putting Ping aside on the end table next to his bed. He sighed, "So many memories…and so many regrets. I just hope I don't regret tomorrow, too."

"You won't," she said hopefully, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Your plan can work—and it will work! We just need to have faith."

"I thought that was Su's line?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. Mei smirked, "Su's not here."

They looked into each other's eyes a moment, then before they realized what was going on, they had come closer, pressing their lips together. He closed his eyes in bliss and let out a contented sigh. _This feels really good,_ he thought as he succumbed to his first real kiss...

Well, okay, that was a lie. Before he had gone to prison, Shifu had allowed him one night of free reign in the village, and, as any virile young man is likely to do, Tai Lung sought out some more pleasurable company in the red light district. A massage with a "happy ending" indeed! He smirked at the memory, but then frowned as he recalled that it was the _only_ experience with a woman he'd ever had. Well, at least he didn't go into prison a virgin.

But he couldn't deny that Mei Xing's lips, which were slowly yet surely drawing him deeper into her embrace, were making him remember every detail of that night. His brain told him that enough was enough; he needed to get out of there before he did something stupid.

'_This is my room.'_

_Doesn't matter. You are not going to take advantage of her._

'_Who said I was going to do that? She's just giving me a kiss, that doesn't mean any…ohh, okay, that felt good.'_ He thought when she parted her lips and ran her tongue across his lips…

_Focus…oi,_ FOCUS!

'_Right, right, focusing, focusing…damn she's got good hands.'_ He thought as her hands moved over his back.

_Damn you, Man, do _not_ give in…_

But when Mei Xing's hands dipped lower down his back to his waist, along his sensitive spine…

'_Brain, you can sod off.'_

_Wanker_.

He sucked in an involuntary breath, arching his back when her blunt claws tickled his spine. He heard her gently giggle against his mouth; it sounded like twinkling bells. He let himself relax as her hands returned to his shoulders…then his eyes shot open when she placed a gentle kiss on his neck.

"Mei…?"

She rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him, nuzzling him. "You feel warm…"

Well, he did _now. _"Mei Xing…what are you doing?" he asked warily. He wasn't sure where this was going…until her hands began to move over his chest, unfastening the clasps of his shirt.

Oh, so _that's _where this was going. _Well, okay, I'll bite_. But he hesitated as she pushed his shirt over to reveal his bare chest.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Doesn't this bother you? I mean, technically this would be adultery, wouldn't it?"

"Why would it be adultery if I'm not married?" she asked curiously.

Oh. Right. She _was_ legally single now, wasn't she?

His resolve began melting away as her hands dipped lower, down his taut muscled stomach, and lower still. He gasped, grabbing her wrists to keep her from going further, his heart pounding. "I…I'm not doing anything you'll regret—"

She turned his head and cut him off with a fierce kiss, her hands on either side of his face, making sure he stayed still. He froze, yet ironically the rest of his meager resolve melted like ice in boiling water. And by that moment in time, he was now officially scientifically classified as a liquid on his own bedroom floor.

When she broke the kiss, he saw a wild light in her eyes and instinctively knew he was in trouble.

"Does that answer your question?" she murmured seductively.

He honestly wasn't sure what to think about this new side of her…but he sure as hell wasn't complaining. He pulled her into his lap, his hands moving over her body as he returned every kiss she gave. She moaned softly against his lips, gasping as he slid his tongue past her slightly parted lips. Her hands moved down his bare chest to the sash around his waist, and he returned the favor, one hand working its way inside her clothes as he broke the kiss to nibble at her neck.

It was her turn to gasp, arching her neck back and biting back on a loud moan as his hands wandered.

"You're sure about this?" he asked one more time.

She leaned forward and passionately kissed him again.

That was all he needed.

* * *

The door to Monkey's room opened and Su Lin stuck her head in. Po was the only one awake. He smiled at her and got up, carefully stepping over the sleeping warriors. When he was safely out of the room, he took Su Lin's hand and led her out to the veranda where they could talk.

"I'm worried about tomorrow," she confessed.

"I am too. Are you sure you want to have a part in this?"

She nodded, "Dalang is like a brother to me—I can't abandon him."

Po smiled and chucked her chin; she giggled. "That's what I like about you, Su…you're always so sweet, always thinking of others. But I want you to worry about yourself too. Tomorrow, no matter what happens, promise me you won't put someone else's safety before yours, okay?"

She looked hurt. "But…putting others before yourself is what warriors do, right?"

Po sighed, "Yeah, but…I really care about you, Su. I don't want anything to happen to you…"

"I don't want anything to happen to you either!" she hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Don't worry. We'll beat the Jiao. Your family will be avenged, Dalang and Tigress will be safe, and peace will come to the valley once again."

She smiled at him, "You make it sound so magical, Po."

"It will be. Once this is all over, I'll show you around, show you everything this valley has to offer. And, if you like," he looked a little sheepish. "I'll cook for you—I can make a mean bowl of noodles."

Su Lin beamed, "And I'll make those dumplings you like so much!"

Po's stomach growled, and she giggled when his face flushed red.

"Hee-hee, I guess we should make those dishes sooner rather than later?"

Po grinned, taking her hand. "Yeah, a midnight snack could do us some good."

* * *

Viper sighed as she watch Tigress sleep. She had never seen her friend cry herself to sleep, but that was exactly what happened. Poor thing. Truth be told, Viper was worried about the outcome of the next day as well. He fervently wished that everything would be okay.

But right now, she wasn't getting any sleep. And with the entire village up in the palace, seeking shelter, finding a quiet spot to meditate would be more difficult than usual.

She sighed and slithered out of the room, stopping when she saw Crane standing on the other side of the hall.

He understood, "Couldn't sleep either?"

She shook her head. He beckoned her with his wing. "Come on, lets go someplace and talk."

Yes. She needed that desperately. She needed to talk to him more specifically…

They found a quiet place alright: The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. The rain had slowed to a mere drizzle, but Viper didn't mind, coiled around Crane's shoulders, under the shelter of his wide-brim hat. They perched themselves under the tree, which was full of ripening fruit, the pair looking across the valley floor to where campfires burned on the field of battle.

"I never thought we'd have to fight _here_," Viper finally said. "This seemed like the last place we'd ever see action."

He nodded, "It'll be okay. We've handled worse."

"We couldn't defeat Tai Lung at the Thread of Hope…"

Crane smirked, "That's because he's a sneaky S.O.B and not afraid to use dirty tricks."

Viper cracked a smile, and so did he. "that's what I like to see."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?"

"For everything…for your friendship, the comfort you give, the wisdom you have…you're the best friend a girl could ask for."

She'd said it. Friend. His heart sank.

"But I don't want a friend anymore," she continued, slithering to the ground in front of him. Looking up, she fixed him with a beseeching look. "I've thought about it, long and hard, Crane," she said. "When this is over…"

"Yes?" he asked, nodding as an encouragement.

"When this is over, will you…?" she paused, closed her eyes to blink back tears. "Please," she said finally. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"You know I will be," he said, literally taking her under his wing. "Heaven knows you've shed enough tears over some guy—I'm not going to be one of them. Ever."

* * *

Shang was also wide awake, knowing that Dalang was likely having a sleepless night as well. And if his brother couldn't sleep, there was no way Shang could do the same. The tiger was walking around the palace grounds, watching over the sleeping villagers. He couldn't help but smile at them; what a glorious place to live! If only he'd left Shen sooner, he would have known happiness like these people did.

But happiness was not for him. Not until his father's ashes were spread over the earth, and his soul damned. Nothing would be right until Dalang was safe, and until the two brothers were the last Jiao on the face of the earth. Shang thought about changing their names to something else. Li, perhaps, for strength? Fu, for good luck? Or maybe a name meaning "prosperity" or "peace"? Nothing to denote warfare: they'd had enough of that.

Shang walked up to the battlements where four guards were on duty. They let him be as he leaned against the wall, staring out over the valley to where his clan was camped. Those would be the battlegrounds come morning.

Every single person had something to live for, Shang realized. Every person he was fighting with tomorrow had something to live for. He pushed himself away from the wall, fingering the hilt of a sword Shifu had let him borrow for the battle.

Everyone had something to live for…except him. No that was a lie; he _was _going to live, for Dalang's sake.

* * *

Seems like everyone's getting' biz-zay at the Jade Palace…Gah, the drama! Please review!


	21. The Battle

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Dreamworks does. I own the OCs.

Ok, here's the typical Friday update, getting it out as soon as I can. I live in NE USA, and since we have a lovely little hurricane named Hanna coming right for us, I might as well get this out now before she hits and we loose power.

Also! I feel I need to make a little warning here: there's an intense amount of violence here. Not so much in the way of blood (as in, there's not enough of it to classify "Blood" as a character) but there is more violence than in previous chapters. Just an FYI.

* * *

Chapter 20: The Battle

* * *

The previous night's rain had cleansed the air, yet a dense fog still covered the valley floor. Atop the summit of the Jade Mountain, the air was crisp and clear in the early morning. The sun was not due to rise for another couple hours, and dew dotted every leaf, every blade of grass, strung on spider's webs like strings of pearls and diamonds. Inside the grounds of the Jade Palace, the villagers slept peacefully, if not fretfully, none knowing how or when they would return to their homes.

Shifu hadn't slept a wink. He had meditated, but it was not the same. Taking up his staff, he patrolled his home, tiptoeing around the sleeping villagers, his mind wandering as his feet wandered. He was barely paying attention until he came to stop in front of the Hall of Warriors. Sighing heavily, he pushed open the doors and was surprised to find a lone figure kneeling by the Moon Pool.

Wu Lien grasped a shawl around her shoulders, a candle in her free hand as she stared into the water. A star chart was laid out in front of her, and her posture was oddly relaxed.

Shifu felt a moment of panic and trotted over, gently shaking her shoulder. "Lien? Lotus? Lotus, wake up!"

Wu started, gasping and dropping her candle. Hot wax fell into the water and she cursed, collecting her things. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep…"

Shifu let out a relieved sigh, "I thought…"

"What, that I had died in here? I'm too stubborn to die yet, old one," she teased, but there was no mirth in her eyes. She looked back at the pool, seeing his reflection standing stock still next to hers.

"I thought…" she started, then shook her head, "You'll think it nonsense, of course. Such rational creatures, Dogs are…" she trailed off, wistful.

"Go on," he nodded.

"I thought I could find the outcome of the battle in the stars." She closed her eyes, "But there was nothing but clouds. I thought for certain that I could know. I have an idea, but, I want to be certain…"

"The future is never certain," he said sagely. "What you will know is what will be."

"But I don't know if I'll see my nephew again," she looked at him through her reflection. "Dalang might as well be my son, Mei Xing and Su Lin my daughters. I never married, I never had children of my own, all of my students were my children. I thought, for a time, that maybe I could find someone for me…but the Jiao ruined me. They ruined me forever."

Shifu meditated on this for a moment, wondering what she meant; when it occurred to him, he felt as if Tai Lung had punched him in the stomach again.

"I won't cry in front of you," she said after a pause, her voice sounding frail. "I know you don't want to see them, and I've no more tears to cry anyway. I was disgraced, and have been fighting ever since to regain that lost honor. Now you know…now you know why I've helped your son." She turned and locked eyes with him. "I can't regain my honor…but he can regain his."

"You've regained honor in spades," Shifu said.

"Yes, as 'Auntie Wu', not as Wu Lien," she said bitterly. "Who would want to follow the style of a foolish woman who thought it could protect her? Who would learn from the master of a style that can't do what it set out to do?"

"No single style of kung fu is fool proof," Shifu said, kneeling by her side. He placed a hand over hers, which was resting on her knee. "The style is only as strong as the person who wields it."

"And clearly you see how strong I was," she snapped.

"Lotus, what happened was not your fault. The Jiao Clan has been feared for decades, and they're known for not fighting fair…"

"It _was_ my fault, Shifu!" she pulled away from him. "I had over one hundred students when it happened—one hundred!—and every single one of them was violated, abducted, sold into slavery, or killed! You tell me that's not my fault!"

"You were one woman against an entire army, the odds were against you!"

"I _fought_ entire armies on my own!"

"You can't always fight armies alone! You need help to do that!"

"You held your own against greater enemies," she said. "What would you have done differently?"

"Nothing," he said immediately.

She didn't expect this answer. "What?"

"I said nothing, I would change nothing. From the stories I was told, you did everything you knew to do, and your students performed beautifully, as well as any master could be proud of…" he looked at her sympathetically. "You did everything right."

"Then why did it go so wrong?"

It nearly broke his heart to hear her say that. For more reasons than he was willing to admit. It reminded him of what he had done during Tai Lung's training; for years he wondered 'what went wrong? Where did it all go wrong?' and would agonize over it while his son rotted in prison. No, Wu Lien's question, and the way she said it, made her sound so very unlike her; like she had been defeated, and was accepting it. No, he thought. No. he may not have known her that well, but there were certain things he knew he had in common with her.

He grabbed her elbow and started dragging her out of the Hall of Warriors.

"Shifu, you better have a good reason for this in the next three seconds, or I'll…"

"Good," he smirked. "For a minute there, I was worried that feisty Monkey woman had left."

"Don't patronize me," she seethed.

"I'm not," he said, pointing down to the valley; from their vantage point, they could see where the fighting would happen. "There he is, waiting…just as you were, years ago. He is waiting, not expecting what we'll do later today. Lotus, this is our chance—your chance—to make him pay for everything…"

"I don't want revenge, Shifu, I just want _peace_," she pleaded. "If we lose today…my heart couldn't take it!"

"We won't lose. I have a very good feeling we won't."

"How do you know? Without knowing the future, how can you be so certain?"

"I'm not," he quipped, "Matter of fact, our odds suck."

She made a wry expression.

"But," he continued, "I have this feeling in my heart that somehow, things will turn out for the best."

"We may lose someone…or more," she reminded him, fear edging into her voice. He knew that all too well. "We may, but we must still hope…"

Small pink peach blossoms wafted through the air around them, swirling and twirling in the air like snowflakes as the sky began to brighten far on the horizon. Shifu smiled at the comforting scene. Peach Blossoms. So, he was still looking out for them, was he? Bless his soul.

"We just need to believe," Shifu smiled.

* * *

Dalang hadn't slept either; he had spent his night wide awake, thinking it to be his last. He had faced his father the night before, rain pelting down onto their unprotected heads. Shen had taken one impassive look at his youngest son—while Feng watched on with a smirk on his face—and delivered the sentence: death, by beheading.

Dalang liked his head; he liked it very much, and didn't exactly want to lose it. His wracked his mind, thinking of a way out of this. Tigress was safe, and, if he gave himself the chance, he could make an escape, defeat his father, and thus save the valley—and rid the world—of Jiao Shen for good.

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized he was not alone in the tent where he had been bound, his hands tied tightly behind his back. The Creature entered the tent, the animal's feet caked with mud all the way up his calves. Dalang stared back at the single yellow eye that stared back at him. There was no way to read his expression, but that eye spoke for him.

"Come to deliver my sentence?" the tiger asked.

The Creature snorted. "Hardly."

"Then what do you want?"

"Answers. Your brother isn't very talkative this morning and I want to know when I'm getting my money."

Dalang paused, surprised. The Creature's accent had changed dramatically. It sounded so fluid and natural, and he realized in that moment that the coarse, gasping growl ever present since first meeting him…it was an act. Instead, this new voice—still gravelly, yet with a slight lilt to the end of his sentences—sounded more refined, yet still foreign. This thing, this mercenary, was hiding far more than he let on. The tiger decided that, for one reason or another, if he told him the truth, perhaps he had another ally? "Never."

"That's what I thought. He going to try and kill me, is he?"

He nodded, "I wouldn't put it past him."

"So is he going kill me _with_ you, or have one of his men do the dirty work while he sits back and enjoys the show?"

"No, he's going to behead me himself—he's been waiting a long time for this, he wants the satisfaction of spilling my blood."

"Truly I've never met a more caring father," the Creature quipped, arching an eyebrow and crossing his arms. "Sun's going to rise in another hour."

"I know."

"I'd call you a fool for giving up so easily, but I know as well as anyone what its like to lose the one you would give your life for. You did the right thing for protecting her."

Dalang stared back at him, then said quietly, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be, it was a long time ago." The Creature's one eye flicked side to side, then he knelt in front of the tiger, getting right in his face. Dalang could hear the ragged breath coming in and out of the Creature's mouth, and he wondered what exactly was going on.

"You breathe a word of this, and I'll kill you, myself," and to Dalang's shock, the Creature removed his facial mask. The tiger sucked in a sharp breath, getting a glimpse of the Creature's face before the black thing returned the mask to its proper place. "You don't have a plan yet, but I do. Jiao Shen has double-crossed me for the last time. One way or another, you'll live to see your woman again. You have my solemn oath."

Dalang still looked slightly traumatized by what he had seen, but nodded. "How?"

"You let me worry about that." The Creature stood and slipped right back into his faked accent, "Ye've got plenty t' worry about t'day, lad. I suggest sayin' yer prayers an' hope that the gods o' death are feelin' pity t'day." The yellow eye winked once, and the Creature was out of the tent, leaving Dalang to wonder about his fate.

* * *

The twelve warriors sat in the Hall of Warriors, the metal brazier in front of them as it had been the previous night. Po had created a light breakfast for them, partly because they wouldn't be in the best of shape to fight on full stomachs, but largely, because each one was so nervous they could barely swallow.

The Five sat directly across from Tai lung, Su Lin and Mei Xing. Po sat to Su Lin's side, Shang on the panda's other side, while Mei sat side by side with Tai Lung. Both leopards looked to be extremely uncomfortable with each other, but they weren't about to talk about the unexpected night they had together.

Wu and Shifu sat at opposite sides of the circle they had formed, the picture of tranquility; inwardly, they were as nervous as the others. Shifu noted the ever-increasing light in the sky and nodded, pushing his bowl away.

"It is time."

Regardless of whether they were finished or not, everyone stood and made their way to the gates of the Palace. A few of the villagers were awake to see them off, and some of the magistrate's guards were there to escort them as far as the village gates. Tai Lung wished they hadn't bothered; this morning was already starting to feel like a funeral procession.

Shang looked grim-faced, armed with a borrowed sword from the armory.

"Nervous?" Mantis said, landing on the tiger's shoulder.

"I'd be a fool if I wasn't," he admitted. "I've seen what Shen can do—he's a worthy opponent. Tai Lung will have his work cut out for him."

"I thought Po would take care of him?"

"One of them will have to," the tiger said grimly.

Far behind them, Tai Lung and Mei Xing walked side by side as they descended the steps into the valley. Finally, knowing he needed to address the awkwardness that had come between them, he whispered, "We _did_ agree last night that it wouldn't get weird, right?"

Mei nodded, "Yeah."

A moment of silence.

"It got weird, didn't it?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Damn."

"Uh-huh. I don't regret it," she quickly reminded him. "But…I don't know if I, you know, _feel_ anything…"

"No, I understand. I don't regret it either."

"I'll bet," she smirked. He chuckled, "Maybe…in time, you never know."

"Right," she said. "It's a little too soon. Though, I wouldn't mind a repeat."

"Gods no," he agreed.

"Should we switch to a more appropriate topic?"

"Probably."

"How are you going to defeat Shen?"

He paused. She sent him a look, "You don't know, do you?"

"I'm kind of making this up as I go."

"Couldn't tell."

"Quiet, you."

By the time they made it to the gates, Shifu nodded to the warriors, who broke ranks and spread out along the walls. They would come at the army from all sides, providing the distraction that the red pandas needed to get to Dalang. Per Shang's instructions, they knew that Shen would meet with Tai Lung and likely bring Dalang with him. Getting him away from the patriarch could prove tricky, even for two masters.

That's when Po got an idea. He passed it along to Su Lin and Mei Xing, both of whom grinned wickedly and set off to put the plan in motion. When asked what he was planning, Po just smirked, "There are some who say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. But I think, the best weapon is one you only need to fire _once_."

Tai Lung grinned; he would get the distraction he wanted. He looked up and noticed the guards had allied themselves on the battlements, and he jumped up the walls to the first tower. He spoke to a swine, "Stand your ground, unless the Dragon Warrior tells you otherwise. We don't want unnecessary sacrifices."

The pig nodded, then cleared his throat, "For what it's worth, I don't think you're that bad…well, not anymore."

"Thanks." He walked across the wall to where Tigress was standing, inside the other tower. "Ready?"

"Ready to claw Feng's face off," she growled.

"Good. I leave him to you."

"How gracious of you," she said dryly. As the sun's rays peeked out and started to bathe the valley in golden sunlight, the beauty of the morning was marred by the appearance of the unified army of Jiao Shen.

The tiger patriarch marched out in front, having shed his heavier woolen tunic and shirt, but still wearing the red cloak about his shoulders. Behind him, his three most trusted mercenaries dragged Dalang behind them, the condemned prisoner looking grim.

Shen spied the leopard on the wall top and held up his arm, signaling his soldiers to stop the advance.

Tigress slipped away without either the patriarch or the leopard seeing.

Tai Lung took a deep breath and offered one last silent prayer that this would work, then jumped off the side of the wall, landing in a crouch before the army. Straightening up, he was quickly reminded of his escape from Chor-Ghom. He only hoped this was as successful as that had been.

Shen glared at the leopard. "Where is the Dragon Warrior?"

Tai Lung smirked and pointed to the dragons on his sleeves. "You're looking at him."

Shen looked very surprised. Good. "I must say, you play a good bluff, Warrior. Now I understand why you were so willing to give the precious hero away in exchange for my worthless son."

Dalang was forced to his knees, one of the mercenaries grabbing a handful of fur and yanking his head back to look up at his father and his brother in arms. Tai Lung looked at him sympathetically, then glared at Shen. "We agreed last night, Dalang goes free, and you get me."

"Agreed," Shen nodded, then unsheathed his sword, raising it over Dalang's head. "Yet you never specified _how_ he would go free."

Before the sword fell, Shen was knocked back, crying out as Tigress delivered the first blow of the battle.

The battle was begun.

* * *

Feng ordered a charge of the walls, and the six score soldiers advanced with a mighty roar. Almost instantly, the plan was set into motion. Crane swooped down from above, diving in and out of the charging crowd, wings and beak and feet furiously striking. Monkey and Viper teamed up, easily taking out the first five warriors in their way. Mantis took down two large brown bears simultaneously; neither one believing an insect could display such power.

As for Tigress, she wasn't letting Shen anywhere near her man.

Shen was amazed how ferociously she fought, and every blow she gave became harder and harder to block. The real shock came when she jumped over his head, leaving his front exposed.

Tai Lung pounced.

Shen roared and advanced, striking the leopard hard in the jaw. Tai Lung was propelled backwards a few feet, hitting the ground hard. He shook himself out of it; okay, for an old guy, Shen was strong! Undeterred, the leopard pulled himself back up, punching a few times, Shen dodging every strike. The tiger was faster than Tai Lung had expected, but he was nonetheless disheartened.

The shouts and battle cries from the Furious Five helped spur him along as he advanced, getting Shen as far away from Dalang as possible.

Tigress ran to Dalang's side, severing his binds with one swipe of her claws. She stopped just long enough to give him a deep, soul-searing kiss before giving a quick "I love you" and springing back into action. Dalang stood quickly, jumping when Shifu suddenly appeared by his side.

"Take this!" the master threw a belt laden with knives at him, "We're getting you back to the Jade Palace!"

"I'm not leaving Tigress alone!"

Wu appeared on his other side, hitting his knee with her closed fan, "Get your tail in that village before I take grandchildren out of the equation!" she threatened.

"Yes, ma'am," he obeyed immediately. He ran straight for the wall, but was intercepted by a large Siberian wolf. Dalang drew two long daggers from the belt, blocking the downward blow from the straight sword and kicking the wolf right in the gut. His knives slashed through the air, flashing in the morning light; the wolf didn't stand a chance from the expert fighter. One enemy thus disposed, the tiger continued, looking over his shoulder and seeing the two masters in action. He couldn't tarry long to watch. He looked ahead of him and saw a good ten soldiers baring down on him. Showtime.

Shifu didn't even flinch as the large bear's fist collided with his open palm; the red panda grabbed hold of one of the bear's fingers and effortlessly lifted him over his head, swung him around once and let go. The bear threatened to fall right on top of him, until Shifu leapt high into the air and kicked sharply, sending the foe backwards into a column of his comrades.

Wu Lien's feet danced across the field, her fan inflicting more damage to her opponents than they to her. She had a couple scratches and bruises, but now she wasn't letting anyone in. She noticed Shifu watching, and decided to show him exactly what the Lotus style could do.

She leapt high into the air, somersaulting once, twice, three times before falling towards the point of a raised sword. To the shock of Shifu—and the wielder of the sword—Wu landed on the tip of her toe, delicately balancing on the sword tip. Her eyes temporarily closed in meditation, the jade eyes opened, flashing like Saint Elmo's fire before she jumped, laying her opponent low with a powerful downward kick. She had cracked his skull, and he was bleeding profusely.

Shifu gaped a moment, then jumped up to the top of his staff, kicking a charging opponent in the face before jumping down and kicking his legs out from under him.

"Impressive," she said.

"You too," he smiled back.

* * *

Further away, a collection of Manchurian fighters—wolves, bears, foxes, and assorted wild cats—were staring confusedly at Po, who had assumed a fighting stance and was ready to attack. One fox turned to his brethren, "Is he serious? No, seriously, he's got no muscle; he's just a big fat—"

He was cut off when Po punched him. The others stared in shock for a moment, then a large overly muscled brown bear said, "Alright, that panda's mine."

He fared no better than the fox and was knocked cold with just two strikes. Po grabbed the tails of two wolves and yanked them back as they tried to run away. Tying their tails together, he twirled them over his head like a pair of bolas and threw them far away, the two canines howling in fear as they landed hard on the ground yards away, taking out a couple of their comrades.

A lynx tried his luck, pouncing and brandishing his claws. Po braced himself, then used his signature move on the poor cat, bouncing the feline off his stomach and sending the lynx sky high. While waiting for the animal to fall back to the ground, he took out the others who threatened him, then stepped back as the lynx fell back to the earth, leaving a sizable crater in the ground.

A nearby wolf nervously remarked to his vulpine companion, "You have _got_ to be kidding me! They even have a _panda_ style of kung fu?!"

"I dunno about you, pal, but I'd take on the tigress any day."

"Happy to oblige," she said, sneaking up on them. She slammed their two heads together, lifted them up like footballs and punted both, sending them so far away they looked like mere pinpricks in the sky.

Po turned to Tigress and cupped his hands around his mouth, "Feng's over there!" he pointed, and she was off, fighting straight towards the other tiger as he shot off arrow after arrow at Crane.

Crane was in his element dodging thrown spears and flying arrows. He balked as one of Feng's arrows took out a wing feather. That was too close—that tiger was very good. He needed to get out of range.

Then he saw Tigress fighting her way towards Feng. Feng saw her two, then fixed an arrow to his bow, leveling it at her.

Crane acted fast, swooping down and taking the tiger out, but it was to Feng's advantage: the arrow embedded itself right into Crane's left shoulder. The bird fell, wincing in pain as Feng stood, drawing a short sword.

"That was _not_ a smart move, bird-brain," the tiger seethed, raising the sword to pierce the bird, "When this is over, I'm roasting you on a spit!"

He cried out in alarm as something tightened around his neck, yanking him backwards. Viper hissed in his ear, baring her fangs, "You touch him and I'll rip you apart." She tightened her grip, cutting off his airways.

He clutched at her, then yanked hard, throwing her off his neck and straight into Crane's waiting wings.

Feng saw Tigress too late. He wasn't prepared for her onslaught, in fact, he wasn't prepared to fight her at all. Though much smaller than he, she was as fierce as the rumors said she was, and then some! He got in a lucky shot, punching her in the gut; she doubled over, which was long enough for him to see a chance he couldn't pass up.

He saw Dalang's unprotected back heading straight towards the village gates as the tiger fought his way through the melee…and towards Shang, who was cheering him along.

"You're almost there! Come on!" Shang beckoned.

Perfect.

Feng fitted another arrow to his string and fired right at his older brother.

Dalang chanced a look over his shoulder and saw everything. With one last burst of energy, he ran and dived in front of his brother, the arrow lodging in his back.

Shang let out a horrified cry, hearing his heart hammering in his ears. Dalang's breath was knocked out of him and he stumbled the last couple of steps into his brother's waiting arms.

"Dalang!" Shang shrieked. "NO!"

"Quit…worrying," he gasped for air. "I'm fine…get me inside, I'm fine."

"Dalang…"

The gates opened and Mei and Su grabbed the injured tiger and dragged him inside. "We've got him!" Su yelled to Shang, "Get in there and help Crane!"

Shang looked to where Feng was standing, slashing his sword at Tigress, who caught the blade in between her hands; grabbing the blade single-handedly, she returned the punch to the gut, then slashed her claws over it. He staggered, clutching his side, then cried out again when Viper jumped, sinking her teeth into his wrist. He dropped the sword, freeing up a chance for Tigress to take him down.

Viper slithered back to the injured bird, fighting off any who would try to deliver a fatal blow. He staggered to his feet, gasping in pain. He snapped of the end of the arrow shaft, but the point-blank shot embedded the arrowhead deep into his shoulder. He couldn't fly out on his own; he was a sitting duck.

"Crane!" Shang yelled, slashing his way through the melee. "CRANE! Come on, let's go!"

"I'm not leaving Viper!" he argued.

"Go!" she pleaded with him. "I'll be fine!"

Monkey landed by her side, striking out quickly and hitting a fox in a crucial pressure point. "We got this, go!"

Shang grabbed the bird by his uninjured shoulder. "LET'S GO!"

Crane looked back helplessly at Viper as he was dragged away by the strong tiger; Viper sent one hopeful look back at the man she loved before returning her attention back to the matter at hand. She stopped dead when she saw her next opponent; she instinctively knew who he was.

The Creature.

"You furious five are aptly named, love," he purred in his gravelly voice. "But don't think that discourages me."

He struck.

* * *

Mei Xing and Su Lin struggled under Dalang's weight, the tall tiger finding it difficult to run to safety with the arrow still lodged in his upper back. Blood ran freely down his back, but he didn't care. His feet began to drag until Mei Xing stopped them.

"Okay, hold it! Running like this isn't going to do us much good if he's losing all this blood."

"I'm fine," he wheezed. "I just need to be patched up, rest for a few minutes, then I'll get back out there…"

"Are you crazy?" Su Lin balked. "You're in no condition for…"

"Come on, Su, just a few herbs, a bandage, and a clean shirt and I'm right as rain…"

Su Lin sent him a dark look, then hit a pressure point in his neck; he fell instantly, unconscious.

"Great Su, now we need to carry his dead weight up all those stairs," Mei said sarcastically.

"No, I will. I'm stronger anyhow. Go back and see that the plan works. If anyone else is injured, we may need it."

* * *

Tai Lung wasn't yet out of the fight, but he was getting there. Soon after Tigress had left him to fight Jiao Shen alone, the patriarch had shed the red cloak. Even the leopard had to admit the tiger was in incredible shape for a man his age. The clothes hid a massive mountain of muscles in the arms and chest, but it was the tiger's cruel, cold and calculating gazes that worried him the most.

He'd sustained his fair share of injuries, cuts and bruises over his body. He hadn't broken anything…well, maybe a couple cracked ribs, but nothing critical. Judging by the wild light in Shen's eyes, however, the leopard figured his wounds were about to become _very_ critical.

Tai Lung ripped what was left of his black shirt from his body, casting it aside. He panted from exertion, knowing he was now on the defensive. He wouldn't last much longer if he kept initiating the fight; he needed to tire the old tiger out. Unfortunately, Shen showed little sign of slowing down.

"I must say, you disappoint me, Dragon Warrior," the tiger mocked at the disheveled snow leopard. "I expected you to be a bigger challenge. But look at you now: you're ready to drop."

"No," Tai Lung growled. "I have not yet begun to fight."

"Of course you haven't—I wonder if you're even trying?" Shen suddenly struck, hitting Tai Lung right in the face. The leopard could feel his lip puffing up already. He staggered back, his back hitting the wall. His legs were shaking and he felt suddenly light-headed. This hadn't happened to him since he was training with Shifu, after a particularly hard training session.

Shen was kicking his ass.

Tai Lung glanced up at the wall, noting that the guards were obeying his orders; he inwardly cursed, wishing for some help or salvation.

The Creature appeared by Shen's side, clearing his throat for what little it was worth. "Ye want th' honor o' finishin' him off, do ye?"

Tai Lung groaned, "Oh hell…you too? How many others want to kill me?"

Shen yanked one of the Creature's swords from its sheath, preparing the coup de grâce. Instead of striking Tai Lung, however, he swiped at the Creature, who dodged just in time, parrying with the other blade.

"He can wait awhile," Shen growled. "He's not going anywhere. You're my next concern…"

Shen was interrupted when a loud CRACK ripped through the air. Initially fearing thunder, instead, a red bloom of fire erupted in the sky. Fireworks?

Narrowing his eyes dangerously, he focused his attention back on his mysterious mercenary, only to find the feline had jumped out of the way. Shen saw the rocket much too late.

Tai Lung dragged himself up the wall, clutching his side and limped along the wall. Up ahead, he could see Po carrying Viper and Monkey, Tigress and Mantis following.

"What happened to the army?" Tai Lung called.

"Gone," Monkey said tiredly, clutching a wounded side; Viper was pressing a blood-soaked cloth to the simian's leg. "We took care of them."

"Shang's taken over the fighting—he's against Feng now," Tigress said.

"You look like hell," he remarked to her.

"You don't look much better."

"Hang tight for a second," Po said, ushering the injured to the gates. "We'll take Shen down together."

Mei Xing opened the gate and yanked the rest of the Five behind the village walls. "Su took Crane and Dalang to the Palace, you'll meet them there."

"I want to stay and fight," Tigress said, despite the fact there was a trickle of blood coming out of the corner of her mouth, and various cuts and scrapes covered her body. She looked like she had just survived another fight on the Thread of Hope against Tai Lung.

Po and Tai Lung exchanged a look, and this was when they both unceremoniously shoved the Tiger Master inside the gates.

"Thanks for the fireworks, Mei," Po said. "Distraction worked."

"Anytime; give them a few punches for me," she said before slamming the door shut.

Tai Lung and Po nodded once to each other, then looked out over the battlefield. Bodies lay strewn about, the dust covered red with blood. There were fewer bodies than they expected: the rest, as Shang had predicted, had run away when they saw they would not win. All that was left to fight were the two tigers and the mysterious Creature. Otherwise, the battle was won.

"Hell of a good start," the leopard remarked dryly.

Po nodded, looking about. He spotted Shang and Feng, the brothers embroiled in fierce combat, throwing as many dirty tricks as they knew. Shang looked particularly fearsome with his face screwed up into a grimace of rage, his eyes glazed over in red.

"Holy…"

"What?"

"It's Shang!" the panda pointed

"Yes, he's kicking his brother's tail," Tai Lung said. "What's your point?"

"Didn't you see his eyes?"

Now he did, and Tai Lung was taken completely by surprise. "…So the stories are true?"

Po nodded, "They must be—he has the Dragon's Rage…"

Dragon Rage; Tai Lung had heard about it, and the myths only made him shiver, and count his blessings that he had never experienced it. A warrior, when in battle, would simply lose all pretenses of mind and reality, and only react. This usually resulted in an intense and complete takeover of his faculties, until the warrior was little more than a wild beast, amoral, taking out whomever stood in his path. It was a dangerous affliction for everyone involved, and, Tai Lung remembered sadly, usually led to a premature death of the sufferer.

Clearly, Feng was out of his element. He was never one for close combat, preferring his sniper tactics with his arrows to facing a much bigger, more skilled warrior than himself. Shang was that kind of warrior.

Feng had seen Shang fall into that blind rage before; it was the only way the eldest Jiao son sleep at night. Feng and the others had no qualms killing and pillaging, but Shang had always been…soft. Like Dalang. Both brothers were blessed—or cursed?—with something similar. They could tune out, enter a plane of thought that made them forget where they were, _who_ they were. Had Feng known Dalang longer, he'd know that the youngest Jiao had used this tactic when he cooked: he used this ability to forget about things.

Shang, however, used it to make things _happen_.

The archer had difficulty blocking the blows coming from the heavy sword, and he was tripping over bodies as he struggled to get out of the way. The only thing that could save him now was divine intervention; instead, he was being met with all the forces of Hell, in the form of his oldest brother.

Taking his attention away from that fight, Po spotted Jiao Shen slinking away and the panda snorted, "Thinks he can just run away, huh?"

"He's not running," Tai Lung said. "He's regrouping."

"Huh?"

"Look, he's shedding unnecessary clothing layers. Watch his shoulders, see how they heave? Its meditative breaths; he's regaining his strength."

"And that's…bad," the panda said slowly.

The leopard rolled his eyes, "Usually, yes, that's considered a bad thing."

Po patted his shoulder. "I'll take care of it."

"No!" Tai Lung grabbed him. "I could barely handle him alone—you're strong, but not strong enough to defeat him while he's recovering…"

But Shen wasn't recuperating for long. The patriarch turned around and saw the Creature standing there, arms crossed over his barrel of a chest, the single yellow eye glaring. Shen sucked in a breath, and narrowed his eyes. "I see you survived the rockets. Pity."

The Creature didn't say anything, only glared.

"Deciding not to speak, are you?"

"We had a deal, mate," the Creature stated.

"I have nothing to give you, go away."

The Creature's single eye crinkled; Shen realized with horror the other cat was smiling.

"Good," the cat rasped out, "Then I won't feel bad for doing this." He drew out a sword and swung it, catching the tiger in the chest. Shen doubled back as a thin red line began leaking blood down his front. The tiger snarled, "I am going to make you regret that," he threatened.

"No you won't," the Creature said. "Only thing I regret is not doin' this sooner."

Meanwhile, Po and Tai Lung exchanged a look, both flummoxed.

"You…don't know that guy in black, do you?" Po asked. "I mean, he's not any friend of yours, is he?"

Tai Lung shook his head, "I'm pretty sure I don't know him. Well, this is a conundrum," the leopard said. "Here we are, all dressed up, and no asses to kick."

Po smirked, "Think we should help Shang?"

Tai Lung shook his head vehemently. "Even if he was having trouble, I'm not going between him and his brother! Unless you want to interrupt Shen and…whoever that freak is…"

A few yards away, the pair saw the Creature's twin swords swipe down, cleanly slicing through a thick tree. Po sent his comrade a look, "No, no, I'm good," the panda said quickly. Then the panda witnessed Shen's surprise attack.

The Creature was completely caught off-guard when the tiger suddenly advanced, gripping one sword in his hand and snapping it in half, using the endpoint to stab directly into the Creature's shoulder.

Po flew into action, stepping between both felines and holding up his hand. "Hold it!"

Shen stopped, staring at the panda, then he laughed, mocking, "You're kidding…surely you must be joking!"

"Nope, I'm gonna fight you," Po smiled confidently.

"Please, I know full well how to deal with pandas like you."

"I know," Po said darkly. "I know one of your survivors."

"A pity they survived. You won't."

Po dropped into a fighting stance, getting ready for the tiger's attack. "Bring it on, Stripes!"

"Surely you _must_ be joking; surely you _can't _be serious."

"I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

Shen's face contorted in rage, diving right for the panda's middle, and, like Tai Lung, was immediately thrown back after bouncing off the rotund belly. The tiger staggered back, but composed himself, charging again. Po side-stepped, grabbing the base of Shen's tail; Shen turned on the ball of his foot and swung his leg towards Po's head. Po wrapped the tiger's tail around his leg and pulled up sharply, taking the tiger's feet out from under him. With a hearty yell, the panda performed a body slam, further knocking the wind out of his opponent.

Po looked up a moment and saw the Creature had slunk away, leaving a thin trail of blood drops on the ground. Turning his attention back to his opponent, Po stood and resumed his defensive stance. Shen struggled to his feet, clutching his side; his fingers searched around and found he had acquired a few cracked ribs. The tiger glared at the panda, "Not going to give the coup de grâce while I'm down, are you? How very noble."

"I try."

"You're going to regret that decision, panda!" he roared.

"And in a couple minutes, you're going to regret not surrendering."

"I never surrender; I never back down from a fight."

"Dude, seriously, retreating now would be a good idea. Your army is completely annihilated."

"They knew what they were getting into."

"I don't think so—and I don't think you knew it either."

Shen wouldn't allow this shot to his pride and he attacked yet again, grabbing the panda's outstretched wrist and hurling him over his head, slamming the panda's heavy body into the ground. Po hadn't expected that—this tiger was stronger than he had thought.

* * *

Tai Lung, meanwhile, had made his way to Shang's defense. Feng had scored some lucky strikes with a knife, but he was still furiously defending himself. Shang showed no mercy, delivering punches and kicks right to his brother's head. Feng looked so horribly beaten up, Tai Lung suspected internal bleeding, perhaps a hemorrhage or two, would eventually kill him.

When the leopard reached Shang's side, he yanked the taller tiger back, slapping him hard, "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Shang glared, his reddened eyes flashing, and Tai Lung slapped him sharply again. The tiger shook his head, getting out the cobwebs, and blinked a few times, his eyes gradually returning to their normal shade of yellow green. He held his head in one hand, staring at Tai Lung in confusion.

"What…what happened?"

"Your Dragon's Rage. Feng's as good as dead; let him alone."

Shang's expression darkened. "No, he needs to die! You may show him mercy, but I know what he's done! I will never grant him amnesty—!" he was abruptly cut off, a stricken look on his face as he grabbed at his middle.

Tai Lung stared in horror at the knife buried hilt deep in the tiger's stomach, blood spurting from the mortal wound.

Feng laughed as Shang fell to his knees. The nervous, psychotic laugh carried across the battlefield, chilling the leopard to the core as it echoed off the village walls, and through the trees.

"There…I did it, I did it! I did what no other son of Jiao Shen could do! I killed you, Shang…you got the death you deserve, traitorous bastard!"

Tai Lung's fist promptly met the tiger's face, sending the archer to the ground. The time for mercy was over.

Feng tried to make a getaway, but Tai Lung wouldn't let him loose. He yanked the tiger back by his neck, slamming him headfirst into the ground, his hand tightening around the archer's throat.

"Trying to run away, are you?" the leopard hissed dangerously. "Just like Huang, running away with his tail between his legs, like a coward. Just like him, you deserve a coward's death…"

If there was only one time in his life he felt no guilt in lying, it was now. He wanted this son of a bitch to suffer.

"You wouldn't…" Feng choked out, both hands grabbing the leopard's wrist.

"In your case, I have no problem going back to prison," he said, drawing out his claws. "Huang died by my hands. That wasn't poison that killed him—_I_ killed him," he lied, clenching his teeth, "just like I'm going to kill you. Just like Dalang when he killed his first man. You're going to die knowing this was how your victims died—in fear. See you in Hell…"

"STOP!"

Shifu appeared by his side, trying to draw his son away. "Tai Lung, _stop_! You won't accomplish anything this way!"

Wu was by Shang's side, pleading with him to stay awake, to keep his eyes open long enough to seek medical treatment. She yelled to Shifu, "We need to get him inside!"

"In a minute."

"NOW, Shifu! He won't last!"

Shifu glared at her, snapping, "I said in a minute!"

"Don't you snap at her!" the leopard yelled. "And back off, old man, this is my duty!"

"Your duty was never to kill!"

"An eye for an eye, Shifu; he deserves it!"

"He's already dying, Tai Lung! Can't you see? He'll be dead within the hour."

"That's not good enough…"

"Tai Lung, _please_," Wu pleaded, "Forget about him! We need to get Shang to the village!"

The leopard paused, then as he was ready to retort, Wu cast her gaze on him, her jade eyes glistening with desperate tears. "Tenzin…_please_."

That did it. The look in her eyes, coupled with the use of his given name—his birth name—was all it took. The bloodlust promptly flowed away; he nodded.

"Alright."

Wu suddenly shrieked in horror; Shifu and Tai Lung whirled and saw Feng much too late, the tiger ready to bring two knives down onto their heads.

A split second later, the archer gasped, dropping the knives and clutching the knife that had been thrown and embedded directly into his heart.

Shang's arm fell limp by his side, the other hand pressing against the wound that same knife had given him. Blood stained his hand, and he grimaced. He watched grimly as Feng's body crumpled, dead before it hit the ground.

"See you in Hell, Feng," he gasped, coughing up blood.

Tai Lung jumped into action, hoisting the tiger up and draping his arm over his shoulders. "Alright, stay awake, you'll be fine…"

"Don't lie to me, Tai Lung…"

"No, not to you," he said desperately, running across the field as quickly as he could, the tiger's weight impeding his speed. "I'd never lie to you. Stay awake, stay with us…you still need to see Dalang again, remember?"

Wu trotted beside them, leaving Shifu to go assist Po in his fight with Shen. "Shang, remember? You and Dalang, you would live out the rest of your lives together—you'd die as old men!"

"I'll try…"

"No," the leopard said firmly. "You _will_ live. Don't you _dare_ die on me! Don't you _dare_ do that to _him_!"

Shang feebly tapped Tai Lung's shoulder with a single claw, whispering weakly as they reached the gate, "Whatever happens…be a brother to Dalang…"

"Don't talk like that…you're going to be his brother—he needs you."

"He needs a brother," Shang repeated, as if he hadn't heard him. "Be a brother to him, if something happens…"

The gate was thrown open and the magistrates guards—and a few civilians—jumped to the rescue, taking the tiger from Tai Lung's hands. The goose doctor who had treated the leopard issued orders in quick succession, whisking his new patient away. "Don't worry," he assured, "We'll do everything we can."

"See that you do," Wu said. "Did you bring what I asked?"

The doctor nodded, "Here, Mei Xing handed them off."

He handed her the familiar package wrapped in red silk; she promptly handed it to Tai Lung. "Take up your inheritance," she said. "Take up the title, and become who you were destined to be, Tenzin."

He nodded, unwrapping the silk and taking up his mother's fans.

Wu patted his leg, smiling grimly, by proudly, "Go get 'em, son."

* * *

That's it for now. Will try to update soon!


	22. The Phoenix and the Dragon

Disclaimer: Don't own it. I own the OCs. Oh, and I suppose I own the plot too...

Here's the usual update, a couple days early. I tried to wrap this up as prettily as I could. But not to worry, we're not done yet!

I also want to thank everyone for their support and their feedback. You guys are all amazing! I want to extend a special thanks to FalconMage and Awerewolf for welcoming me into their Tai/Po C2 community. Its an honor to be in fellowship among my fellow writers and Panda fans! Thank you all, for everything!

* * *

Chapter 21: The Phoenix and the Dragon

* * *

Shen was not having a good time. Matter of fact, the tiger patriarch was finding that this panda was somehow a bigger threat than the snow leopard. Quite the odd coincidence, indeed. He refused to believe that a panda—a panda!—could defeat him! Yet for every punch, every jab and kick, every swipe with his claws, none of them even touched the monochromatic warrior.

Po was having an easy time of it, but knew better than to let his guard down. He remembered what Dalang had warned him about back when Tai Lung had fought Huang: the difference between Tai Lung and the Jiao…Tai Lung had never fought dirty. Though he had once been the panda's enemy, Tai Lung fought valiantly as any warrior should have; no cheap shots, no dirty tricks, he had fought as he had been trained.

Jiao Shen did all of the above.

Po ducked as Shen slammed his foot into the ground, leaving a crater where the panda had been standing just seconds before. The tiger performed a 360 turn, swinging his leg hard into the panda's head. Po fell, his head spinning, spots dancing in front of his eyes. He heard the tiger's footsteps falling heavy upon the earth, and he rolled out of the way as Shen slammed his fist into the ground.

"Stand and fight me, if you dare!" the tiger snarled.

Po kept his distance, his head still spinning. That had been one powerful kick, almost as powerful as Master Shifu's! Almost. That gave him a little bit of confidence…but not much.

_No, I'm the Dragon Warrior. As long as I believe, I can beat him!_

Shen got in a lucky shot, kicking the panda right in the gut, sending him flying backwards and into the wall. The wall almost crumbled from the force of Po hitting it, but it left a very large spider's web-like crack. His back started hurting, and he couldn't move fast enough to avoid Shen's strike.

Then Shen shrieked in pain as the metal fans slashed over his back. Tai Lung somersaulted over the tiger's head, landing between him and the panda. The leopard didn't wait long enough for the tiger to recover, and advanced, the steel fans flashing in the noon sunlight.

Suddenly Shen knew he was in trouble. The leopard was still injured, but Shen knew those fans…he _remembered_ those fans.

"Nima…"

Tai Lung's eyes widened, but otherwise hid his surprise. "You knew her?" Shen didn't say anything; he continued with a smirk, "She beat you once, didn't she?" Tai Lung chuckled. "Well, guess what?"

He didn't give him a chance to answer; he attacked. Wu's voice echoed in his head: _Have you been practicing 'Leaves on the Wind'?_

He most certainly had. Shen was about to be beaten with the same fans a second time.

Tai Lung stepped forward lightly, then turned, holding out the fans to his side, forming a sort of deadly horizontal windmill. They twirled in the air gracefully, effortlessly, using little flicks of his wrists to make them move. Turning, one right after the other in quick succession, the tempo of the dance his hammering heart, the fans twirling on the tips of his fingers.

Shen's skin was slashed open in multiple places as Tai Lung advanced, his light orange fur turning red and black with fresh and drying blood. He could barely hear the leopard's footsteps on the ground. Light-footed, swift, and, he quickly learned, completely unpredictable. Tai Lung leaped, performing an axle turn six feet into the air, then swung his leg out, giving Shen a kick to the side of his head.

The tiger faltered, staggering a bit, but returned fire when he saw the leopard slow down.

This was what he was waiting for. Tai Lung snapped a fan shut and struck straight out, hitting a crucial pressure point in the tiger's chest. Shen fell onto all fours, gasping for air.

Tai Lung switched the position of his foot from facing out to facing in, turning sharply, fans slicing through the air. Shen snarled and swiped at him; the leopard dodged by going into a full split before hoisting himself up into a lunge and turning sharply with his other leg straight out, sweeping Shen's feet from under him.

"Not bad."

Tai Lung whirled, both fans up over his head to block the downward strike of the Creature's sword. His face obscured, he took away one of the fans, twisting his wrist and looping the deadly steel dangerously close to the Creature's abdomen. To his left, the leopard heard Po jumping back into the fight against Shen, who still showed no signs of slowing down, despite his multiple injuries. Steel slid against steel as the Creature stepped back, his single yellow eye betraying his sudden astonishment.

"Where did you get those?" the gravelly-voiced feline asked, staring at the fans.

"They're my inheritance," he replied simply

Tai Lung took the fans away from shielding his face, and assumed the Lotus style fighting stance: a deep lunge, one foot extended, straight towards the opponent, one fan straight out, the other arm curled above his head. The Creature finally got a clear view of the leopard's face, and looked at him in amazement, lowering his weapon in shock.

"Holy…"

Tai Lung didn't hear the completed curse. Po's anguished cry took his attention away from this opponent; over his shoulder, he saw claw marks slashed red scratches over the panda's unprotected chest and belly.

Tai Lung swore and jumped right into the fray, neglecting the Creature, who started to run after him.

The Creature was caught short, however, when something wrapped tightly around his ankles, yanked back, causing him to fall. The masked feline glared over his shoulder at his assailant: it was Master Shifu.

"Forget him," the red panda growled. "This fight is between you and me."

"I ain't got nothin' aginst ye, mate," the Creature said, swiping his claws over the rope Shifu had wrapped around his ankles. "But if it's a fight ye want, old man, it's a fight ye'll get!"

Shifu dodged when the Creature charged, the red panda jumping straight up into the air. He somersaulted, grabbing the feline by the covered ear and yanking him down backwards. Before he let him hit the ground, the master struck straight up against the Creature's spine, then threw him over his shoulder. The cat's body hit the ground with a dull thud, but he jumped right back up, sword in hand, and charged again.

To his amazement, Shifu grabbed the sword tip between his thumb and index finger, then effortlessly hoisted both sword and swordsman up over his head, throwing him a good distance away. The Creature got right back up again, stopping to study this diminutive master. He was small, and he was old: how on earth could that tiny little animal possibly be beating him? Unless…

No, that wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible…could it?

Shifu smirked and beckoned the Creature to attack again, which he did. Shifu aimed a kick to the feline's face, but the cat swiped the red panda's legs out, then punched, sending the master back. Shifu landed on his feet, skidding back and stopping, then resuming a fighting stance.

"Just whose side are you on?" the master demanded. "First Jiao, then ours, and his again!"

"I take no sides," the feline hissed. "None but my own."

"What is it you want?" Shifu asked. "Power, wealth, the Dragon Scroll?"

"Neither," the Creature seethed. "I want vengeance."

"I have done nothing to you, and neither has Tai Lung!"

The Creature's eye widened in shock, and he glanced over at the two warriors tag-teaming against Shen. He watched the leopard duck and weave out of the tiger's attacks while the panda delivered blow after blow; Shen never backed down.

"Tai Lung…" the Creature breathed, then turned his eye back to the master, "Then ye must be Shifu. Why'd ye allow 'im back, if he's so dangerous? An' why are ye protectin' him?"

Shifu almost answered, _Because I am his master._ No, that wasn't right…

"Because it is a father's duty to protect his son," he said. The Creature stared at him a moment, then snarled and charged.

He never made it to Shifu.

Wu Lien had come out of nowhere, hitting the feline in the side and sending him flying. She landed in a graceful plié, smiling at Shifu, who stared at her in shock. "Where did _you_ come from?!" he asked.

"Dancers are _supposed_ to be silent, remember?" she smirked, snapping open her fan. "Sit back and take a breather—he's mine."

"I claimed this battle first!"

"Tai Lung was my nephew long before he was your son," she pointed out. "It is my duty to protect as much as yours. Let me do my work."

He didn't argue. She needed this; she needed to prove to herself that she still had the skills necessary to win. He acquiesced, "If you must."

Wu nodded and lifted her fan over her head, her toes pointing to her knee as she raised one leg. She waited for the Creature to charge again…and when he did, she noticed how he seemed to hesitate when he got closer to her.

She took that to her advantage, striking first. Her closed fan hit him in three crucial spots before she fell back to the ground, landing hard on his foot. The Creature backed off, holding the smarting appendage as Wu twirled and leapt through the air, nailing many roundhouse kicks to his side, his hip, shoulders and face. Shorter than Shifu, she was every bit the firebrand, with the grace of a swan, the speed of an eagle, and the ferocity of a tiger. But the subtle grace of her hands like reared serpents and the hypnotic twirl of the fan in her hands like the wings of a hummingbird took the feline's attention away from her feet.

True to the Lotus form, the power truly existed in the legs. Wu leapt high, kicking forward into his face, one right after the other before she flipped backwards and landed in the Lotus fighting stance. She smirked and beckoned him forward as she hid her face behind her fan.

The Creature, now enraged, took the bait; it was his biggest mistake. Wu jumped straight up, over his head, and the Creature saw Shifu's flying fist too late to be stopped.

Wu landed gracefully on one foot next to her fellow master, watching as the Creature struggled to get back up. She snorted, "I don't know who's more stubborn: him or Shen!"

"Funny, I thought you'd mention me somewhere in there," Shifu quipped.

She lightly slapped his arm with her closed fan. "We can fight over that later. We need to help our students!"

Just as the pair turned to go aid their charges, they watched in horror as Shen rounded on Po, who had his back turned. Shifu bounded forward to protect the panda but he was too slow.

Instead, his horror intensified as Tai Lung dodged in front of the tiger, taking the full force of the deadly attack.

Shifu's horrified shout got lodged in his throat as the leopard's body was thrown right into the village wall, then slumped down to the ground with a sickening thud. Po was too busy keeping Shen at bay to notice, but when he finally did, his face paled.

"No!"

He fell to the ground when Shen tackled him, the tiger's hands wrapping around his throat, "One down, one to go…"

Wu was the first to react, nailing the tiger with multiple blows to the head. The tiger roared, grabbed her leg and twisted sharply, the ankle cracking loudly. Wu winced in pain, biting her lip to keep from screaming and was thrown like a rag doll, her body bouncing off the ground before coming to rest a few yards away. Pain shot up her leg, but she couldn't move it. She dragged herself along the ground, reaching for her fan. Shifu was by her side in an instant.

"Lotus, stop!" he commanded.

She slapped his hand away. "I have one more leg, Shifu! I can still fight him…I can take back the honor he stole from me."

"Your leg is broken!"

"No, just my ankle," she said nonchalantly, as if it were a trivial matter. She stood shakily, favoring the uninjured leg. Her face was paling quickly from the overwhelming pain, but she held back on showing any other weakness. "A dancer's feet will break, will bleed, and their body will ache until the very bones scream for mercy. I have had far worse than this."

"Lotus," he grasped her shoulder. "Sit _down._"

"You are not my master, Shifu," she snapped. "Let me deal with Shen—Tai Lung needs you!"

Shifu turned to look over at where Tai Lung lay and he saw she was right. The Creature was crouching over the leopard, and suddenly Shifu's blood boiled. He completely forgot about Wu's injury, especially when she shoved him in the leopard's general direction. Shifu's main concern was his student's—no, his _son's_—welfare.

The Creature grunted when Shifu's foot collided with his back. The feline fell back and snarled viciously, drawing out a serrated knife from his belt. "You get away from him!" he screamed.

"You take one more step towards him, and I'll kill you!" Shifu shouted.

"I tire of your arrogance, old man," the Creature said, then struck with the blade, tearing open the master's robe; Shifu had jumped back just in time to avoid the blow. He chanced a look down at Tai Lung.

He wasn't moving.

Panic swept through him, but he saw the Creature's fist too late. Shifu was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard; he thought he heard a distinctive crack in his arm, but he felt no pain there. Wu Lien was running as fast as her injured leg would allow, now that Po had taken control of the fight against Shen once again.

"Shifu!" she cried, "We need to get him away from…"

"I know!" he said, standing. Then he stopped. Something wasn't right. The black-clad assassin was supposed to have killed Tai Lung by now. Instead, the Creature turned the leopard onto his back and was checking his vital signs, muttering frantically under his breath, "No, no, no…I need to know…I need to _know_…"

As panicked as Shifu was for his son, he couldn't help but wonder as the Creature poured over the body of the motionless, supposedly lifeless Tai Lung. The assassin was not behaving the way he should have been. What was going on?

* * *

Tai Lung opened his eyes and winced as a bright light hit his pupils, making them contract quickly. Raising his hands to his face, he rolled over onto his side, propped himself up and looked around after his eyes adjusted to the light. He recognized where he was…by the Pool of Sacred Tears, the birthplace of kung fu. But it looked different. It looked…brighter, greener, there were no clouds, no chills, and a soft, warm breeze brought the scents of citrus and apple blossoms from someplace far away…but he also smelled jasmine in the air. It was beautiful here, but he was confused. Wasn't he just fighting Jiao Shen?

"There you are," a familiar calm voice said. "We've been expecting you."

Tai Lung whirled and his jaw dropped when he saw the two figures. "Master Oogway!" The old sage was smiling benignly at him, grasping a staff much like the one he had carried in life. The tortoise was just as Tai Lung remembered him.

Then Tai Lung saw a woman standing beside the sage, a female snow leopard like himself…his heart sunk: _Mei Xing! Those bastards, they didn't!_

The other snow leopard laughed softly, smiling benevolently. Wait, he knew that smile…and those eyes!

"Hello, Tenzin," Nima greeted, her eyes shining with unshed tears of pride. "My little boy…not so little anymore, are you?"

He felt like crying. Tears were already brimming in his eyes as he strode forward, wanting to embrace her. Oogway stopped him, stepping in front of her, while Nima gave her son a sympathetic, yet sad smile.

"I am very sorry, Tai Lung," Oogway said sorrowfully. "But I cannot allow you to do that."

"She's my mother!" he pleaded.

"And if you embrace her, you will immediately travel over to the other side…"

It suddenly hit him. "Am I…am I…dead?" he asked, fearing the answer.

Nima shook her head, her beautiful golden eyes gazing back at him. Those eyes shone brightly like twin suns, so she turned out to be aptly named!

"No," she said. "You're only _mostly_ dead. Your metabolic processes are still functioning…you _have_ _not_ passed on," she said, a wry smile forming on her lips; as his mother, she knew exactly how to make him feel better:

"You have _not_ ceased to be, expired, or gone to meet your maker. You are not a stiff. You are not bereft of life, resting in peace, or pushing up daisies. You are not off the twig; you have not kicked the bucket, run down the curtain nor joined the 'bleeding' choir invisible. In short: you are _not_ an ex-snow leopard."

Tai Lung laughed heartily, grinning. She returned the smile, "In case you were wondering where you got your sense of humor…"

"Mystery solved," he joked. "But…if this isn't heaven—and I'm _pretty sure_ this isn't hell…"

"An astute observation," Oogway said with a knowing smile.

"Then where am I?"

"This is the portal to the next life…the place where one usually comes once they have reached enlightenment," the tortoise explained. "Never in my life did I expect to see _you_ here, until now."

"Because I had darkness in my heart," he said bitterly. "I was not meant to be the Dragon Warrior."

"No, you were not. But had I known what I know now, from what your mother has told me…I would have bestowed a far greater honor upon you." Oogway smiled.

Nima looked at her son intently. "Auntie told you about the Phoenix Warrior, did she not?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes…yes she did."

"Good," she grinned. "It looks like your birth chart was correct after all. You see, the day you were born, there was a reported bad omen: the red star was rising in the south; the villagers thought you were a bad omen…until Auntie saw your star had risen in the constellation of the Red Bird of the South…"

Tai Lung's mind slowly processed this. The Red Bird of the South…the FengHuang, the Phoenix. "This was foretold?"

Oogway nodded. "Strange coincidence, isn't it?"

"But I'm still not the Dragon Warrior…"

"You don't need to be. You _never_ needed to be. All things happen for a reason, there are no accidents."

"So Chor-ghom was not an accident?" he asked bitterly.

Oogway shook his head, "I will be forever guilty of what befell you there…it broke your poor mother's heart," he said, patting Nima's hand. She looked at her son sorrowfully, and he knew her words were sincere,

"If I had the power to release you, I would have…I would never have allowed those _beasts_ near you. You are my sun and moon and stars, Tenzin, and I love you."

He nodded, "I know…I know from the visions…" he stopped as she smiled again. "What?"

She laughed again. "And who do you think sent those visions to you?"

He froze, then realized it to be true. Not only had she watched over him, but she had helped him remember… "Why? So that I wouldn't forget you?"

Nima nodded, "And to aid in your journey to redemption. I knew that love from Auntie alone wouldn't help you…you needed to know that you had always been loved, and that we never would have given you up willingly…"

"Speaking of which, where _is_ my father?" he asked, looking around. Oogway and Nima said nothing for a moment. Tai Lung used that silence to think about it, then it hit him.

He swore. "He's alive."

Nima nodded. "And he is with you on the battlefield, right now."

"Sonam…he's with me, now?"

"Protecting your body with his own," Oogway smiled. "Just as he did forty—forgive me, thirty-eight years ago."

"_Thank_ you," Tai Lung said, glad the tortoise remembered his real age.

Nima smiled and took another step towards her son, "I cannot embrace you, as much as I wish I could…you have much to accomplish, and a long life to live. Besides, I can't bear to hurt Mei Xing like that…she is a sweet girl, and you are very lucky."

Mei Xing. He smiled a bit. Now that he thought about it, she did remind him a lot of his mother, at least from what Wu had told him about Nima. Mei Xing was fiery, feisty and had a wit as sharp as the crack of a whip. In recent days, he'd come to see her as a strong, independent woman, whose spirit, thought to have been broken for years, suddenly reappeared; he was blessed to see the woman she had always been. She was supportive, too, and to his knowledge, she had kept his secret for him. He could depend on her, and he trusted her. There was no small amount of satisfaction to that. _Not to mention_, he thought, _she's a damn good kisser…and pretty good at, ahem, _other_ activities…_

Yes, he was very lucky indeed. Then he froze, remembering just what exactly the two of them had done the night before. "Um…Mum?"

"Yes, love?"

"You, ah…you weren't…_watching_ while we were…you know?"

"Oh _gods_ no!" she made a face. "I know my limits!"

He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily, "I'm never going to be able to do that from now on without thinking of you watching…"

"Just hang some herbs over the door whenever you plan to engage in 'clouds and rain'," she said. "I'll get the message."

"Swell."

Oogway interrupted them, pointing to Tai Lung. "It is time…you must return and assume your position as the Phoenix Warrior…"

"Shifu will never believe…"

Oogway smiled sagely, and perhaps a little bit wryly. "Trust me, when he sees the sign, he will…I ask only one thing of you, Tai Lung," the tortoise said. "Always remember who you are, and draw from the strength you have gained in this past year."

"Strength? I've always been strong..."

"Not always..."

He knew what he meant. Strength, he meant the strength Auntie had taught him about, the strength of character, of will, of ambition, the drive to not just succeed, but the drive to live that kept Wu, Dalang, Su Lin and Mei Xing going, continuing their lives. Tai Lung realized in that moment that, contrary to what he had believed at first, he really had grown.

"Do you see now?"

Tai Lung nodded, "Yes. For the first time, I see."

Nima smiled proudly at him. Oogway nodded and stepped forward, bowing once; Tai Lung returned the bow respectfully.

Then Oogway sharply hit him on the forehead with his staff.

* * *

"OW! That sonofa…" he trailed off, coming face to face with the Creature. His two eyes scanned the Creature's face, and saw to his astonishment that the black-coated feline's one eye was wide with fear and sincere worry.

"I know who you are," Tai Lung said. He didn't get to finish.

The Creature let out an anguished cry as Jiao Shen raked his savage claws over his unprotected back. Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, Shen flung the hapless disguised feline yards away, the Creature hitting the ground hard and rolling until coming to a stop.

Shen pounced on the black creature and reached for the mask. "And now…now I have you, and I will reveal you for who you _really are_…TAI LUNG!" He tore the mask away, revealing the scarred face of an aged snow leopard, whose one eye glared back.

Then the old leopard laughed.

Shen was utterly confused, "Why are you laughing, you fool?!"

The old snow leopard grinned wickedly. "I'm not Tai Lung…He is," he pointed at the other leopard.

"No, he's the Dragon Warrior!"

Tai Lung stood uneasily, finding his strength quickly returning to him; he smirked, "No, that is what is commonly called _a lie_. The real Dragon Warrior is the panda that was kicking your tail from here to Shanghai."

Shen's mind was having a hard time processing everything, so Tai Lung further insulted the tiger patriarch by saying,

"Alright, I'll say this as slowly and as clearly as possible. _I _am Tai Lung, who went on a rampage twice, nearly razing this valley to the ground, I spent twenty years in prison but now I'm back to regain my honor and redeem myself. The panda—yes, the big fat panda over there—is the Dragon Warrior, and he will kick your arse momentarily. I fooled you into thinking _I_ was the Dragon Warrior to give the _real_ Dragon Warrior time to prepare for this battle so that he can finally defeat you. As for the leopard in your grip…"

* * *

Shifu felt Wu Lien grab hold of the front of his robe, her face gone white. The master panicked, holding her tightly as her legs buckled beneath her. "Lotus, Lotus what is it? Do you feel faint?"

Wu pointed to Shen and the leopard in his clutches, looking at Shifu with astonishment in her eyes. "Sonam…Sweet merciful heaven, Shifu, _it's Sonam_!"

* * *

Sonam took the opportunity to punch Shen in the eye, raking his claws savagely over the tiger's face. As Shen drew away, crying out, Sonam stood, brushing dirt from his shoulders. He faced the younger snow leopard, and Tai Lung got his first real look at the feline who sired him.

Sonam now looked nothing like in the visions he'd had. The handsome face that Tai Lung knew from long-lost memories was heavily scarred, and the burn over the left eye was partially covered by the black eyepatch. No fur grew over that eye, but the rest of the face sported many battle scars, some still pink with healing, others white with age. The scowl on the strong jaw was deeply etched into the old leopard's face, and the unspoken challenge of a fight was still evident in his eye. But now, the look softened a little. "You know who I am?" he asked, dropping the accent he'd faked for Shen.

"You're hard to be mistaken for anyone else…Baba," he said.

Sonam's face broke out into an expression of shock, then he slowly smiled, "T-Tenzin? Is it really you?"

Tai Lung reacted fast, jumping up and hitting Shen hard in the face as he came towards them, then sending a strong hook kick to the chest, sending the tiger back a few paces. "We can continue this later," Tai Lung said quickly, suddenly distracted.

"I don't think so, you aren't fighting another minute!" Sonam's fatherly instincts kicked in full force. "Besides, I've been waiting forty years for…"

"Thirty-eight!" Tai Lung yelled. "I am THIRTY-BLEEDING-EIGHT!"

"Thirty-eight is nothing compared t' sixty-eight," Sonam growled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, son."

"Dad, I love you to death, but I have a battle to fight here…"

"And I'm fighting right beside you!" he said, standing side by side with his son.

Tai Lung was not going to allow it. "You're injured!"

"You're bleeding!"

"It's only a flesh wound! And you're old! OW!" He winced and noticed Shifu had snuck up behind him.

"Watch who you're calling old, boy," he gritted out. "I can still fight you in a fair fight."

"Alright, before we get back in this little game, who is this, and why does he call you 'son'?" Sonam asked.

Tai Lung was more surprised to hear that Shifu had called him 'son', but in the interest of time and completing their mission, he growled instead. "Can we PLEASE finish the battle first?! First of all, Dad, you're NOT fighting, you're too…injured," he corrected himself in time. "And this is still _my_ fight…"

"Jiao Shen did this to me!" Sonam roared, pointing at his mangled, scarred face. "He nearly killed me, and you! I've been waiting fort—" he corrected himself, "thirty-eight years for this, and no son of mine is going to steal this from me!"

Tai Lung and Shifu shared a worried look; both knew the other leopard was in bad shape after his fight with Shen. "Alright, wait a minute, Dad…Master, isn't there anything you can do?"

The red panda cast a level stare straight up at the older leopard and said, "This battle is between Jiao Shen, the Dragon Warrior, and Tai Lung. You have done enough, Sonam."

Sonam glared back, "You said you were just protecting your son—that's exactly what I'm doing!"

"He is an adult, a grown man, and he can handle himself!"

"He is still—and will _always_ be—my little boy!"

Tai Lung interjected, suddenly embarrassed, "Shifu, _please_! Get him out of here!"

"Over my dead body!" Sonam swore.

Shifu looked from side to side, catching his former student's drift; he locked gazes with Tai Lung, sighed, and shrugged. Then the red panda jumped up and hit the older leopard with a nerve attack, causing him to slump down into unconsciousness. Tai Lung caught him before he hit the ground and handed him off to the master, "Thanks a bunch."

"No problem. See you back at the Palace."

"Shifu?"

The red panda stopped to look back at him, "Yes?"

"Did you…did you really call me your son?"

"I raised you, didn't I?" Shifu was smiling proudly. Tai Lung felt something pulling at his heartstrings and he smiled warmly.

Shifu was proud of him again.

The master had one last thing to say before he left his son and former student to assume his destiny. He nodded towards the tiger, still having a time fighting the panda; the red panda smirked, wisecracking, "Give him hell."

* * *

Shen felt victory was at hand. The panda—the so-called Dragon Warrior—was easier to defeat than he had thought. Imagine, the greatest warrior of all time, a panda! Well, the tiger was soon to prove that the greatest warrior of all time would be him, once the panda was disposed of.

"You've never heard of that particular stipulation, have you?" the tiger drawled, slowly prowling closer to the panda, who was gasping for breath on the ground before him. "Should the Dragon Warrior ever be killed by another warrior, the victor assumes the title."

"You'll never win," Po said stubbornly. "Good always wins out over evil."

"Evil? Is that what you think I am?" Shen smirked, the first time in years that his face betrayed any notice of happiness or amusement. "Evil takes many forms, my boy…no, I am not evil—I just don't care what people think."

"You don't know right from wrong," Po said, standing slowly, his whole body aching.

"Right and wrong have nothing to do with it," Shen said, humoring the panda. If he was going to kill him, he might as well give him a fighting chance. Granted, he hadn't expected the _fight_ in the panda himself. He had to admit, this rotund warrior had a lot of nerve. "In war, morals never matter. To be victorious, honor and dignity must be destroyed. Anything that stands in the way of victory must be destroyed. It is survival of the fittest—if I am stronger than you, it is simply the laws of nature that I be the one to kill you. It is a sad reality, but it is reality nonetheless."

Po stared back, stalling for time. Maybe the Five would come back, or someone would send _some_ reinforcements…

He saw Tai Lung slowly prowling towards the tiger behind his back; Shen was still occupied, and had no idea he was about to be ambushed.

Po kept him busy, to give the leopard a chance. "You sound like you read 'The Art of War'."

"I'm a warlord, my boy, of _course_ I've read it. Victory is at hand for the general who plans ahead…"

"See, I always thought victory goes to those who don't underestimate their opponents," Po said, catching Tai Lung's shadow out of the corner of his eye. If the tiger noted the panda's eye movements, then the leopard would be discovered too quickly and all would be lost.

"A foolish notion, I feel," the tiger said, crossing his arms. "I underestimated your bravado, but clearly, I overestimated your abilities—subpar at best. You make 'mediocre' look like 'expert'."

"You're also supposed to…"

Shen laughed, "And here you give me a lesson in that which I have learned since infancy! I know more about war than you will _ever_ know about kung fu!"

"I'm just saying," Po said, Tai Lung now within striking distance of Shen's unprotected back. "How does that passage go? 'always make your enemy believe you are few when you are many'?"

"Actually, its 'many when you are few', and 'close when you are far'," Tai Lung said, drawing his claws over Shen's back. The tiger whirled and was shocked to find the leopard's fist colliding with his face. Tai Lung jumped over to Po, helping him stand straight.

"Are you alright?"

"Hanging in there," the panda said.

"Nice stalling, by the way."

"Thanks. I think we need a new plan."

"We _have _a plan."

"We do?" Po asked.

"_I_ do…" Tai Lung grinned wickedly. "I want to know exactly how much Sun Tzu he knows…"

"He doesn't like to talk," Po pointed out.

"Exactly. But we do."

Po caught his meaning and grinned. "Gotcha. On three?"

"On three," he winked.

Shen roared and pounced, both warriors dodging in opposite directions. They struck back simultaneously on opposite sides of the tiger, who fought just as ferociously as before.

Tai Lung was the first to block a strike, "Surely you remember the chapter 'Waging War'? How to 'let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns'."

"Not to mention," Po said, aiming a high kick into Shen's back, propelling the tiger forward into the leopard's fist, "'No one benefits from prolonged warfare'."

"Very nice, you _have _been reading it," Tai Lung said confidently. "How far have you gotten?"

"Tactical Advancements," Po smirked as Shen picked himself back up. The tiger was starting to stagger. Victory would soon be at hand, if only they could keep him distracted. The leopard looked pleased, and began reciting the same lines he had memorized to get him through his hellish imprisonment.

Tai Lung said, hitting with the speed of a striking serpent, easily breaking the tiger's sternum, "'Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence'."

Po finished the statement, "'Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting'." He kicked straight up when Shen turned, breaking his jaw as easily as the leopard had broken his sternum.

The tiger, however, was not to be outdone just yet. "Yet still you fight!" Shen snarled, striking out. Po met the strike, then used his other hand to deliver a sharper hit to the tiger's middle.

"Yeah, well, you didn't give us much of a choice," he remarked.

"Besides," Tai Lung said, kicking the tiger's feet from under him, "Everyone knows to besiege a walled city is the stupidest idea ever concocted. And yet here you are, attempting to besiege the Valley of Peace; not very smart. If you _have_ studied Sun Tzu, and kung fu, as we have, then you know the best tactical practices…"

"One," Po said, dodging a punch from the tiger and sharply kicking out his legs from under him again. "'One may know _how _to conquer without being able to _do_ it'."

Shen growled, the first real hit to his ego. He reacted in anger, charging towards the panda, but was halted when Tai Lung grabbed him by the throat.

"Two, 'to secure ourselves against defeat lies in your own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself'," Tai Lung said.

Shen reacted again, snarling, "I am NOT to be defeated!"

Tai Lung dodged another strike, ducking and weaving through each clout without being hit once, though he came close. He let Po have a chance, the panda yanking the tiger forward and bouncing him off his ample stomach, and right back into Tai Lung's waiting arms. The leopard twisted sharply, taking the tiger off his feet, then threw him down to the ground.

"Three, 'in all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining in battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory'," Po smirked.

"Four, 'hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision'," the leopard said, falling into a split as Shen swung, then he swung his leg out; Shen jumped up to avoid it, but couldn't avoid the below-the-belt hit from Po.

"'Concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy," the panda continued. "And 'masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions'.

"Also something to point out," Po said, jutting his arm out and catching Shen's throat as the tiger advanced, "'The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy to impose his will on him'."

Tai Lung decided to forgo honor, and struck Shen while he was still down. The tiger would not have allowed him the same luxury as honor in this fight, and the leopard was through with being nice. "'In war, the way to avoid what is strong and strike what is weak'."

"'Ponder and deliberate before you attack'!" Po said, knowing full well that Shen had abandoned all plans and was taking whatever chances he got. The tiger was losing, but refused to admit it.

"You might want to ponder this too," Tai Lung said. "The five cardinal sins of a slain leader: recklessness, which leads to destruction; cowardice; a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame; and over-solicitude to his men…well, in that last case, I don't think you qualify."

Shen's eyes blazed red with fury and he struck, his fist flying past Tai Lung's face; Tai Lung grasped his wrist and lifted him up. Po grasped the tiger's ankles, and both leopard and panda jumped up, horizontally twirling him in the air before slamming the tiger into the ground.

Shen groaned, feeling pain shooting up his sides. He hadn't felt this pain since he was a boy, and still training in warfare. His ribs were cracked, his sternum and jaw broken, one shoulder now dislocated, and it felt like he had broken multiple fingers and toes. It took all the reserve strength he had left to will himself back to his feet. He swayed dangerously, feeling lightheaded from the multiple hits to the head. His lower regions still ached from the panda's hit, and his back felt all out of order from the one lucky strike from the leopard.

He wasn't going down yet. No, if he were to die here today, he wouldn't be going to the Underworld alone. He let out one last crazed roar and jumped at the panda, who threw him over his shoulder. Tai Lung was on the tiger's other side, blocking the tiger's frantic kicks. Shen twisted his upper body, ignoring the pain, and felt the panda be torn off his firm footing and slammed into the ground.

Shen pounced and shoved the leopard into the ground, his hand pressing down on his throat.

"Not using those fans are you?"

"You…" Tai Lung choked out, "you don't deserve to die…by them…" it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe. He had banked on the patriarch being weakened to the point he would die of exhaustion, and that he and Po would not have to deliver the coup de grâce. It looked like it would not be the case.

As he felt his windpipe crushing, he wondered, _where the hell is Po?_ Shen pressed down harder, and Tai Lung panicked, his mind screaming what his voice could not.

_PO!_

As if he had miraculously heard him, Po slowly picked himself up, and glared at the tiger for a moment before grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and yanking him back, tossing him like a cheap rag doll far over his shoulder.

Tai Lung coughed violently, grasping his throat as he sucked in breath. Po helped him up. "Are you okay?!"

"Fine…I'll be fine…what about you?"

"Doing good. I heard you just in time, it looks like."

Tai Lung stopped and thought about it for a moment. He'd…heard him?

"Po…I didn't say anything."

Po stared in shock, but was quickly roused back by Shen's roar. The panda looked between his friend and the tiger. Tai Lung had bruises, deep cuts and wounds all over his body, at least the parts he could see. Po didn't think he looked much better. If they allowed Shen to attack them one more time, they'd both be goners. Po and Tai Lung shared a look, and Po's face became the picture of determination.

"This ends now."

"How?"

"How do you think?" Po suggested.

The snow leopard knew immediately, and grimly joined his brother in arms in a fighting stance.

And just as the warriors turned to hit Shen again, the older tiger found both warriors had grabbed an index finger apiece. His arms out by his side, Shen looked utterly perplexed, as did Po and Tai Lung. Then the pair smiled knowingly, and eyed Shen with wicked looks.

Shen felt his confidence wavering, but still held on to his bravado; he would not be defeated by a fat panda and an ex-convict!

"You _fools_," he spat. "You will _never_ defeat me. I'm _invincible_!"

"You're a loony, that's what you are," Tai Lung quipped tiredly.

"Your army's gone," Po pointed out, panting with exertion, "And your sons are defeated! You've lost!"

"You finished off Feng?" Shen asked, perplexed. "How?"

"Buddy, I'm the Dragon Warrior," the panda reminded him.

Tai Lung shrugged, "Good enough for me."

"YOU?" Shen laughed uproariously. "You can't be the Dragon Warrior! He's a panda! You're a panda!"

"That's what I said," the leopard smirked.

"That's all in the past now, right?" Po winked.

Tai Lung returned the wink, "Right."

They simultaneously raised their pinkies.

Shen's eyes widened with intense and unadulterated terror when he realized what was going on, and what they were prepared to do…to both hands he possessed. He gasped, "The Wu Xi finger hold!"

"Oh, so you know this hold?" Tai Lung smiled like the cat that had caught the canary.

"You…you can't, you _won't_! You're bluffing, both of you!" he exclaimed, looking panicked.

"Are we?" Tai Lung asked.

"Ridiculous!" Shen blathered, his resolve waning rapidly. He was shaking like a newborn kitten. "You're a washed-up ex con! And he's a big fat panda!"

"No…he's _the_ big fat panda," Tai Lung smirked.

Po returned the smirk, "And _he _is _the _ex-con."

"You're bluffing!"

"You hear that, Tai Lung?" Po asked, arching an eyebrow and smiling slyly. "He still thinks we're bluffing…"

"Oh, we probably are. As a matter of fact, there's no guarantee that Shifu ever taught _either_ of us the Wu Xi finger hold," the leopard glared at the tiger a moment, then his face broke out into a malicious grin. "But, we're smart buggers; it wasn't hard to figure out…"

"You survived it…" Shen gasped, staring at the leopard, and silently begging for mercy. "You know its secret…you survived it, and so can I!"

"Wanna bet?" Tai Lung asked rhetorically. He looked at Po, "On three?"

Po nodded grimly, "On three."

Tai Lung began the countdown, "One."

"Two…"

And together, they flexed their pinkies, "Skadoosh."

* * *

Shifu and Wu Lien were halfway up the steps to the Jade Palace when they heard Sonam coming around. Wu was the first to kneel by the leopard's side, shaking him gently. "Sonam! Sonam, wake up, its Auntie…"

The leopard opened his yellow eye slowly and looked into her smiling face. "Mother's love…Auntie Wu?"

She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Thank the gods! Praise heaven! Never in all my years…but, I thought you were dead!"

"That was the point…ugh, where the hell am I?"

"We're taking you to the Jade Palace," Shifu explained. "We needed to get you away from the scene. Your son and the Dragon Warrior had much to accompl—" Shifu didn't finish his sentence as a loud BOOM reverberated around the valley. Wu Lien gasped and let out a shout; the three of them jumped to safety behind a boulder as a strong wind flew past them, carrying a golden light and dust from the valley floor. Shifu took Wu into his arms, shielding her from the worst of it. When it had passed, she pulled away, smirking at him; he just blushed and averted his eyes. She kissed his cheek, "And here I thought chivalry was dead."

Sonam had stood shakily and peered over the boulder, his eye wide. "You two might want to see this…"

Shifu helped Wu on top of the boulder to see, and both red pandas' jaws dropped in shock.

"Shifu, is that…" she gasped.

He nodded slowly, as astonished as she; he knew the sign, and a feeling of peace fell over him. He smiled, knowing peace had finally—finally!—come to his ward at last. "Yes…yes it is."

* * *

Everyone at the Jade Palace had heard the commotion as well. Mei Xing and Su Lin ran up to the battlements, Mei demanding of a pig guard, "What in the hell was that noise?"

He shrugged, shaking, "I-I don't know…"

"Mei!" the female panda called, pointing out over the valley. "Look!"

The female leopard peered over the wall and her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing: in the golden light of the aftershock of the Wu Xi finger hold, two shapes had formed in the sky.

_Long_ and _FengHuang_.

A dragon and a phoenix.

* * *

On the valley floor, the only thing that could be heard in the aftermath was the coughing and sputtering of the two warriors as they purged dust from their lungs. Po looked at the blackened crater where Jiao Shen had been just a moment before and stared at it. Tai Lung also stared at the hole in the ground, staying respectfully silent. Po, as was his garrulous nature, stated just a moment later,

"Huh."

"Yeah."

"So, think he's dead?"

"He got hit with the Wu Xi Finger hold from _two_ warriors…I think he's dead."

"Good."

"Yeah."

With that, both warriors collapsed to the ground. They both lay down on the battleground, staring up at the sky, sighing simultaneously. Po was the first to see the designs in the sky, like pointing out shapes in a cloud. "That looks like a phoenix, doesn't it?"

Tai Lung looked at him, "What are you saying?"

"I dunno…seems like a sign, you know?" the panda asked thoughtfully.

The leopard smirked, "Maybe…I doubt anyone would get it though…"

"Yeah, I dunno. Shifu might. Wu Lien would, definitely."

Tai Lung chuckled, but it was full of mirth. Po joined in, quietly laughing, then when they exchanged another look with each other, they burst out laughing, rolling on the ground, holding their sides and laughing with wide grins and sincere peals of hilarity. Anyone watching would have thought they had lost their minds. But it was a healing laugh, one that is shared after a traumatic experience, the kind of carefree laugh that says 'we survived, we're alive'! For all the absurd events to have transpired from the very beginning of the whole mess until that very moment, all of the stress, the arguments, the past between them…none of it mattered.

They were successful, they were victorious, but most of all, they were alive.

They settled back, sighing again, this time contentedly. "Wow, we're not dead," Po said.

"Nope," Tai Lung said with satisfaction.

"You kinda had us worried there, for a bit."

"You probably had reason to be…I had a vision where I saw Oogway…" he left out Nima—that could be saved for another time. "He told me I still had things to do, places to go, so on and so forth."

"Cool. He was a really wise guy."

"Yes he was."

"So, if you technically died…"

"I wasn't dead, I was _mostly_ dead…" he smiled, remembering what his mother had said.

"But technically, you died…and you _came back to life_."

"So…what you're saying is…" he said slowly.

"You were resurrected just like a phoenix."

Tai Lung lay there, staring at the sky and the image of the dragon and the phoenix as they faded away on the wind. He sighed, smiling a little. "Yeah…I guess I did."

"Not a bad deal," Po pointed out.

"Nope, not a bad deal at all…" he trailed off, closing his eyes.

"Tired?"

"Very. I'd like to sleep," he said irritably, opening one eye.

Po got the message. "Sure."

Tai Lung closed his eyes, sighing happily. He was at peace.

But not for long.

"Wanna get something to eat?" Po asked.

Tai Lung nearly groaned, opening his eyes and rolling them. But then he thought about it, sighed, and said with a smile and a nod, "Yeah."

* * *

Next chapter is on the way!

_Please _review!


	23. The Last Jiao

Disclaimer: Redundant as it is, I need to express that I still don't own it. Dreamworks does.

Also, **WARNING**: This is a tear-jerker chapter. I regret and apologize for nothing...except for the length of the chapter. I _really _need to learn when to cut myself off...

Grab your box of tissues and your comfort food of choice and venture onwards, trailblazers!

* * *

Chapter 22: The Last Jiao

* * *

"I see them!"

The call carried over the walls as Zeng fell in a flapping mess of molting feathers and he fluttered about the arena floor, rousing the attention of all the villagers.

"They're coming! The Dragon Warrior and Tai Lung, they're coming!"

"Make room!" a guard called, clearing a path for Shifu. Shifu's arm was in a sling, having just been administered to by Su Lin. She and Mei Xing hurried behind him as he ran to the gates. The guards threw open the vermilion doors and a hush fell upon the crowd, all eyes trained upon the top of the steps.

No one said a word, listening intently.

There was silence for a long moment, then Shifu heard heavy panting. Then a black arm was thrown up in the air and slapped down on the landing, kicking up dust. Po pulled himself up a second later, out of breath. Tai Lung barely dragged himself up, nursing his left arm, and collapsed on top of the steps with Po by his side.

"I…don't care…" Po wheezed, "how many times…I do that…it'll always be…hoo, rough…"

Tai Lung was in similar shape, "That climb's…a lot harder…than I remember it…to be…"

Shifu trotted forward, searching their faces intently. "Well?"

Po held up a finger, a signal for him to wait until he'd caught his breath. Then the panda and snow leopard shared a satisfied look before Po said softly, "It's over. Jiao Shen is defeated."

"Defeated?" Shifu repeated.

Tai Lung gave him a thumbs-down signal, "Dead as a doornail."

"And you…?" he asked worriedly.

Po smirked, laughing shortly, "Master, we're living the dream."

Tai Lung grinned, chuckling softly. He saw Shifu staring at him intently, then the red panda trotted over to them, throwing his arms around both their necks.

"Thank the gods…" he whispered. "They delivered you both back to me…"

Shifu pulled away and shared a smile with them before turning back to the villagers and proclaiming, "Jiao Shen is defeated!"

The roar of the crowd rose up immediately, firecrackers going off in celebration, young males whooping and mothers weeping grateful tears. Children cheered 'hurray, hurray!' for the two warriors as Shifu led them back into the Jade Palace.

Po placed his hand on Tai Lung's shoulder. "Way to go, Phoenix Warrior."

The leopard smiled, grasping the panda's hand like a brother. "You too, Dragon Warrior."

As soon as they entered the Jade Palace and the doors closed behind them, they were mobbed by the villagers. They shook their hands, men patted them on their backs and a few girls swooned over them. Every person who lived in the valley was cheering them, proclaiming loud 'hip-hip, hoorays!' until the whole crowd was roaring it. He had never felt better. _But there's something missing_, the leopard thought.

"KITTY!"

_Scratch that._

He grinned, scooping Baby Fu into his arms. "Ha! I was wondering when you'd show up!"

"Kitty play?" Fu asked hopefully.

"Yes, Kitty can play now," he chuckled, tickling the baby's chin.

"YAY!" the little bunny threw his arms around the leopard's neck, then quickly drew away. "Ick! Kitty messy!"

Tai Lung looked down at himself, finding his body caked in mud, sweat, discolored bruises, and dried blood from multiple cuts and scratches. He looked over at Po, who inspected himself as well; he didn't look much better. The panda shrugged, "Meh."

"Meh," he shrugged back.

Mrs. Chin, Fu's mother, made it over to them, beaming a bright smile full of pride. Then she smirked at Tai Lung, "A one-time thing, eh?"

He gave her a lop-sided smile. "Okay, so I lied. Sue me."

She grinned and laughed as Fu made a face. "I'll let you get cleaned up…"

"Bring him by later," he said, waving good bye to Fu. "Kitty promised to play, after all."

Tai Lung felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Tigress standing next to him. The look on her face was unreadable, and he briefly wondered if she was going to punch him without provocation. Instead, she smiled subtly, the other members of the Furious Five lining up beside her; they were smiling at him as well.

Tigress punched her fist into her open palm, as did the others (except Crane, whose wing was in a sling), and all five bowed. Tai Lung smiled and returned the bow.

"Masters," he greeted.

"Warrior," she said back.

"What, no 'Master'?"

"Don't press your luck," she smirked.

Oh well, that was as good as he was going to get for now. Po ran forward and hugged his friends, Viper absolutely giddy with excitement, Mantis and Monkey high-fiving the panda, and Tigress actually smiling. Po noticed sadness behind her eyes though.

"Tigress, everything okay?"

"Yes…" she paused, then smiled hopefully. "Dalang's fine. He's still recovering. He can't move very well…but he'll live." She looked remarkably relieved.

"What about Shang?" Tai Lung asked.

The smiles on their faces fell faster than a rock from a high cliff. Crane looked grim, and seemed to be the only one willing to speak up. "He…he doesn't look good. Monkey did what he could…"

Shifu took his students aside. "This isn't the place. Come, we must go inside, let the villagers return home…" he eyed the panda and leopard, "And we need to get you two cleaned up."

Tai Lung smiled at his master—_no longer 'former'_, he decided. Once his master, always his master. "So that's it? I'm being welcomed back?"

"I think you earned it…Phoenix Warrior," Shifu winked. He stepped to the side, and in an instant, the leopard saw why.

Su Lin and Mei Xing stood there, both harboring expressions of delight mingled with relief on their pale faces. Mei even looked a little hopeful, if a little withdrawn. Su Lin, however, couldn't hold in her exuberance, and ran forward.

He internally sighed. That hug was meant for Po, of course…

But she never ceased to amaze him. Her arms wrapped around him and she smiled through grateful tears, bouncing up and down with childlike glee. "You did it! I _knew_ you could do it—I _knew_ it!"

Tai Lung felt like walking on air, but he brought himself back down to earth. "It's all because you had faith in me."

"Mei had faith in you too, you know," she pointed out. There was no hiding the obvious look on her innocent face: she was intending to play matchmaker, and he knew it.

"I know," he smiled over at the female leopard, who was standing back, smiling proudly at him. The awkwardness from the night before was still there, but nonetheless, she looked happy--overjoyed, even--to see him again. Mei just smiled warmly and gave him a little wave. He understood; he didn't think a public display of affection would be appropriate so early in the relationship, either…if what they had could be _called_ a relationship.

Su Lin kissed both his cheek and Po's, both warriors bringing their fingers up to touch the place where her lips made contact. Their cheeks reddened a minute later. Su Lin just beamed, "You're our heroes!"

"I'll say," Mei said, smirking at Tai Lung, and playfully punching his shoulder, "Congratulations on not screwing it up, you big lug."

He snickered, chucking her chin and grinning when she giggled, "Watch it, cheeky."

Su Lin took their hands. "Come on! It's a time to celebrate; I've got a meal all planned out…"

She was interrupted when their stomachs growled loudly; Po swore he heard Tai Lung's gut growl four letter words at him. "It's a lot of food, right?" the panda asked.

"Enough for the appetites of two hungry warriors, and then some!" she said effervescently.

"Good."

Po smiled and beckoned Tai Lung to walk side by side with him…as comrades, as friends, as brothers.

* * *

The kitchen had proved to be much too small for their group, yet they all crowded around the table, breaking their fast. Tai Lung found it uncanny how quickly his relationship with the Five was improving so quickly, especially with Tigress.

"You're _sure_ there're no hard feelings?" he asked Crane as the bird popped a piece of dim sum into his beak. He waited for the waterfowl to finish chewing.

"Look, you saved _all_ our lives. As far as I'm concerned, that's all in the past."

"And your friends?" he eyed the others, who stared back at him.

"Well, if Tigress has accepted you," he implied, "I think you're in the clear."

The rest of the Five smiled at him and resumed eating.

"This is unexpected," Tai Lung admitted.

"You being the legendary Phoenix Warrior was unexpected too," Crane pointed out.

"Touché."

Tigress finished eating before anyone else did, and quickly collected a tray, piling high with food.

"Leaving us so soon?" Tai Lung asked.

"This is for Dalang," she said, leaving an open invitation. He got the point and set his food down. He was nowhere near satisfied yet, but there were more important things than food.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Considering the hell he'd been through in the past twenty-four hours, Dalang looked to be in pretty good shape. The majority of his bare upper torso and back were heavily bandaged, and his hands and knuckles were wrapped in gauze as well. Rope burns still stung on his wrists, and his back ached from where the arrow had hit. A carefully administered—and very small—shot of opium dulled the pain, but it didn't do much to deflect the discomfort he was feeling now.

He winced as Mantis stuck acupuncture needles into his back, the tiger lying on his stomach in a spare room.

"Ow! I thought you said this would make me feel—BETTER!" he yelped.

"Trust me, it _will_," the insect said. "It's not my fault your muscles are so tense…"

"Gee, I can't imagine why _that_ would be the case—YEOW!"

The door opened and Tigress walked in, smiling down at him. He returned the gesture, grateful to see her again. "Hey beautifu—GAH! Do you MIND?" he glared at the insect.

"Fine!" he huffed. "I'm trying to lighten the pain, but clearly…"

"You can see how that's working for me," Dalang said, accepting a sweet kiss from his girlfriend. "Color's come back to your face," he remarked.

She smiled, caressing his cheek. She'd been white as a sheet when she saw the bloody arrow sticking out of his back, and had almost fainted, though she'd never admit it; Monkey had made quick work of patching him up, the simian's jovial nature putting everyone at ease. Tigress had never been so grateful for the jokes, however morbid, that her boyfriend and her comrade tossed back and forth at each other. It had two effects Monkey wanted: to keep Dalang awake and conscious, and to ease his worry.

"I was scared…" she admitted, squeezing his hand lightly.

"I promised I'd be back," he kissed the back of her hand. "I keep my promises."

"I brought food."

"Have I said lately how much I love you?"

She grinned and kissed his cheek.

"How's your back?" someone asked from the doorway.

Dalang looked at the doorway and saw Tai Lung standing there…but he barely recognized him. "Tai?"

"Yes?"

"Holy crap, that _is_ you! You look like hell…"

"I'm not the one who jumped in front of an arrow."

"Ah yeah…Monkey dug it out. It smarts like a mother, but at least I'll live. I got lucky—missed my heart and any major blood vessels by mere millimeters."

"You _are_ a lucky sod, I'll give you that," the leopard smirked, coming in and kneeling by the tiger's side. They stared at each other a moment, then wordlessly, the two of them embraced, the leopard careful when lifting the tiger into his arms, careful not to hurt him further.

"I know it's not much," the tiger said. "But…thanks."

One simple word, but it spoke volumes more than words ever could.

"Anytime."

"No really, thanks."

"You're welcome," he emphasized. "So…clean bill of health, otherwise?"

"So far, so good," he winced, rubbing his shoulder. Tigress held up a bowl of noodles for him and he sat up slowly and gratefully took it. "I'll be in recovery for a while. Business is going to suck…"

"_Hang_ the business, you just escaped with your life!" Tai Lung growled. "You have your life, your love, and all the time in the world! Count your blessings!"

"That's oddly philosophical of you," Tigress said slowly.

"I'm just getting started." The leopard paused and sighed, "Listen, Dalang…there's something you need to know…"

Mantis interrupted him, pointing out the mud and dried blood on his fur, "Um, are you sure you don't want to bathe first?"

"No," he said tersely. "This is a _little_ more important…"

He was interrupted again when Crane came into the room. Tai Lung rolled his eyes and took a chance to look around. Judging from the décor, he realized they were in Tigress's room. He wondered with an inward smirk whether that was planned ahead on her part.

"Came to check on you…I'm guessing the acupuncture didn't work?" the bird asked.

"You could say that—OW!"

"I'm taking them out!" Mantis yelled. "RELAX."

Tigress gathered the insect's box of needles and set them aside. She nodded to Crane, "What's the verdict on your wing?"

Crane sighed, "Shifu's forbidden me from training for at least two weeks. I can paint and everything, but it's just not the same…"

"I got away with just a scratch here, bruise there…nothing I can't handle—EEP!" she squeaked when the bird poked her side.

"Yeah," he said wryly, "and a couple cracked ribs. Tai Lung, have you been checked—"

"NO! I mean, no, I haven't because I am _trying_ to tell Dalang about his brother…" said he, and quite irritably.

"Shang?" Dalang sounded worried. "Is he okay? He made it back, didn't he?"

The room was silent. That was a very bad sign. When Tigress gripped his hand in hers, Dalang knew.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

"No!" Crane said quickly, shaking his head. "No, he's still alive…at least…for now."

Mantis nodded, setting the last of the needles away, and tried telling him as delicately as possible. "Feng got in a lucky shot."

"It's my fault," Tai Lung said. Dalang looked over at him, completely devastated and confused. The snow leopard continued, "Feng delivered the blow, he...stabbed Shang in the stomach…he knew it would be a slow death. I could have stopped him, and I _didn't_," he finished bitterly.

Crane wrapped his uninjured wing around him, "Don't blame yourself…"

"Get off!" Tai Lung stood abruptly. "I had that son of a dog in my hands! I was going to kill him! And I let him go! If I had just let Shang run him through…"

"Stop," Dalang said.

"This _should not_ have happened," the leopard continued, having not heard him. "This could have been prevented…"

"Tai Lung," Dalang said a little more firmly. "Listen…"

"Don't try and tell me differently!" the leopard said, pointing at himself, "I know who's really to blame!"

"I said _listen_, you _jackass!_" Dalang snapped. The room's occupants fell silent, allowing him to continue, "I know who's to blame—and I'm assuming he's dead."

"Who?"

"Feng."

"Yes, he's a goner."

Dalang nodded, leaning against Tigress tiredly. "Tai Lung, I don't blame you. You had enough on your mind as it was…"

"But…"

"No, no buts. I knew one or both of us was going to die today. I was hoping he'd live, but I guess heaven had other plans."

The four other animals were respectfully silent. Mantis softly cleared his throat, "You're, ah, taking this pretty well, considering…"

Dalang shook his head, "That's just how I was raised, how we were _both _raised. You live by the sword, you die by the sword. I know Shang; he wouldn't have gone down without a fight. I knew he wanted revenge as much as I did. And besides, he always said he'd never die an old man in his bed; he wouldn't stand for it."

"He fought valiantly," Crane said, "if it's any consolation."

"It's plenty." The tiger moved, hissing in pain as he tried to stand. Tigress grabbed him. "What are you doing?!"

"I need to see him. If his wound's as bad as I think it is, I don't have much longer with him."

"Dalang, I think you should rest some more," Tai Lung suggested, sounding worried. "You're still pale and weak…"

"Tai," the tiger said, looking him in the eye, "I haven't seen my brother in ten years, and when he showed up a few days ago, I got angry at him and said things I regret. I'm not wasting another minute. Please, take me to him."

The leopard hesitated, but Crane knew exactly what to do. "Okay. Monkey's with him right now. If you start to feel bad, at least our doctor's right there and he can treat you."

"Thanks." He stood with Tigress's help, and smiled when Tai Lung wrapped the tiger's arm around his shoulders.

"Are you sure you can walk? We can carry you…" the leopard offered.

"You want to carry me bridal style to my brother's deathbed? Are you _sure _those were only prison rumors…?"

"I'm letting that slide, _just_ this once. Next time, your sorry carcass is _mine_," he promised.

"Duly noted."

* * *

Monkey looked up as the door to his room opened. Su Lin was by his side, the panda girl offering her own collection of medicinal remedies, for which the simian was grateful for. His smile fell when he saw who it was. He sighed, "I had a feeling you'd come sooner or later."

Shang groaned softly on the bedroll, his eyes opening slightly. His yellow-green eyes locked with his brother's and he smiled wanly.

"Hey, baby brother."

Tigress and Tai Lung eased Dalang into a seated position, the younger tiger wincing slightly from the pain, but he ignored it.

Shang looked deathly pale, white bandages wrapped around his middle, but red stained the gauze over the mortal wound. The older tiger's hands were resting on top of his stomach, and his breathing was labored. Dalang rested his bandaged hand over his brother's, looking into his face.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be," he rasped out. "Everything I did today, I did for you." Shang smiled at him and Tigress. "Besides, you have more to live for than I do."

"That's not true," his brother said. "You could live here, learn to cook if you wanted to…I could always use another cook in the restaurant."

Shang chuckled, the coughed violently, blood spotting his lips. "No…no, I can't even boil water. You are so lucky, have always been lucky. I think of all of us, Mom loved you best."

"_You_ were her favorite."

"You were her _baby_—Shen already had the rest of us. She had hope for you. She's proud, I know she is. She would have loved you, Tigress," he said, smiling at her.

"You can live through this," Dalang pressed. "You've had worse."

Shang closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. "I'm too weak, Dalang. No one needs to say it, I know you're all thinking it…"

"No…" he shook his head, as if by denying it, the gods would have mercy and his brother would live.

"I'm dying, Dalang," he said weakly. "I wanted you to live, more than anything…"

"Why? Why did you throw it all away?" he demanded.

"Why?" his older brother repeated. "Because you're my baby brother, and that's what brothers do. It's too late for me…but it's not too late for you."

Tigress interjected, tears stinging her eyes, "Shang, I…I'm sorry for hitting you."

He chuckled and smiled at her, "That's fine. I deserved it. Shh, don't cry, I can't stand to see a woman cry. I don't want anyone crying…"

"I'm sorry too," Tai Lung sank down to his knees. "I should've let you kill Feng…this would never have happened."

"No worries," Shang said, and he meant it. "All things happen for a reason. I'm glad you stopped me—maybe that little act of mercy will ensure my place in heaven…and yours."

"I could have killed him for you."

"What difference would that have made? You did what your heart said was right; its no wonder Shifu is proud of you."

"I don't think that," the leopard said. "If all things happen for a reason, what is the reason for…for _this_?" he asked, implying his impending death.

"Hell if I know," Shang said with a smile. "I regret nothing, neither should you. I don't blame you, any of you…you're all amazing warriors, and the best friends a guy could have." He gripped Dalang's hand, looking up at him, "And you're the best brother a man could ask for."

"Right back at ya," Dalang choked back a sob, his own eyes brimming with tears.

"Shh…its okay. I'm not leaving yet. But…will you stay with me?"

He nodded, responding quietly, "Yeah…yeah, of course."

"Eat something, you look pale."

"I'm not hungry."

"Come on, Dalang, don't make me spoon feed you," he joked.

Dalang smiled sadly; even as he lay dying, Shang's sense of humor never abandoned him. No matter how dark the hour, his brother always saw fit to make him feel better. Erasing Dalang's fear and pain erased his own fear and pain. He and Shang had always been close, despite the ten-year age difference, Shang the perfect protective older brother, and Dalang the baby brother who idolized the elder. Dalang only hoped that when his own time came, he could face the eternal rest with the same grace and dignity as his beloved brother.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

"You won't," Shang assured him. "Trust me, you won't. I'll still be with you…besides, you now have more brothers and sisters than you know what to do with." He smiled at Tai Lung, Monkey, and Su Lin. "And they love you as I love you…you are so lucky," he whispered back.

"Shang…" he pleaded.

"Its okay," he said, closing his eyes. "I'm just…a little tired…"

"Shang."

"I'll be fine…when I wake up, we'll talk some more…"

"Shang!"

Shang's eyes flashed open, "Will you _relax_? I'm not dead yet."

"Can we get you anything?" Tai Lung asked, still feeling guilty no matter what the tigers said. "Food, water…?"

"I don't need anything except my brother by my side…but thank you."

The leopard sighed and got up with Su Lin, leaving the tigers and their simian doctor alone. Outside the room, leopard and panda sighed heavily.

"How much longer, do you think?" he asked quietly.

Su Lin looked more depressed than he had ever seen her, and it tore at his heart. "Not long…maybe an hour. Two hours if we're lucky. I'm surprised he lasted this long, to be honest."

"I know what they told me," he said quietly, gripping her hand. "So why do I still feel guilty?"

"You mean, why did you live, while he's going to…?"

He nodded.

"I don't know…I can't answer that." She paused. "But I think there's someone who can. I need to see him next, anyway. Come on," she pulled on his arm.

"Where are we going?"

"To see your father," she answered.

* * *

Su Lin knocked lightly at the door to Tai Lung's old room, then cracked it open a minute later. Her round face broke into a sunny smile. "Hello! You must be Mr. Sonam! I'm Su Lin, I'm one of Tai Lung's friends. It's very nice to meet you!"

Tai Lung entered after her, and bit back on a laugh at his father's bemused expression. He figured that must have been the same look _he_ had sported when he had met the panda girl months ago.

She set her things down by the bed and reached for medical supplies and fresh bandages. "I hope you don't mind…I thought you two should probably talk, since you haven't had much of a chance until now…"

She trailed off into silence. The still in the air was utterly onerous as the two leopards stared at each other. Tai Lung took in the multiple scars that covered his father's body. Now that the black clothing was taken away so the panda could treat the wounds, they both saw the extent of Shen's fury, both old and new.

There was a long wicked scar that extended across the old leopard's neck from jawbone to jawbone, the likely source of the gravelly, raspy voice. Long slashes crisscrossed across his chest, still defined and muscular from years of training and likely killing, and there where shorter lines indicating where he had been stabbed. The stab marks covered his torso—Tai Lung quickly lost count of how many there were—and the slashes along his arms looked particularly vicious. There was even a star-shaped scar on his shoulder.

What took his attention further was the missing eye patch. The younger leopard's eyes widened. The other leopard's left eye was milky white with blindness, and only a narrow slit compared with the wider right eye. The severe burn over the left side of his face had healed poorly, nearly shutting the left eye for good.

As he was contemplating what to say, Sonam beat him to it and snorted. "You look like hell."

Tai Lung paused, then laughed at the irony. Sonam's mangled face broke into a grin, flashing dangerously sharp white teeth. His upper canines extended past his upper lip, like a vampire's. But when he smiled, Tai Lung saw the same man he'd come to know in his visions.

"Haven't had much of a chance to clean up," he replied.

"Clearly."

Su Lin lightly tapped his shoulder. "Lift your arm, please?"

"Sure, love," he rasped. He caught his son staring. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Jiao Shen did that to you? All of that?"

"Aye."

"How did you survive?"

"Don't rightly know, to tell you the truth. I'm just as curious to know how you survived the WuXi finger hold."

"No bleeding clue."

"That's what I thought," he chuckled, then hissed sharply.

"Sorry," the panda girl apologized as she applied straight alcohol to a wound. "I forgot to warn you that it would sting…"

"Its fine, love, just wasn't expecting it." Sonam looked back at his son, looking him up and down. "If I didn't know better, I would have sworn you were my doppelganger."

"Auntie said I looked just like you."

"And how! There's no mistaking your paternity, that's for damn sure," Sonam laughed hoarsely.

Tai Lung walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his father, "So…how _did_ you survive, all these years?"

Sonam sighed as Su Lin tended to him. "It's a long story, and since that friend of yours may die soon…"

"We have enough time for the abridged version."

"It'll be heavily abridged, son."

"You can fill me in on the details later, right?"

Sonam paused then sighed. "Fine. I assume you know about how you were left here?" He saw him nod, and he quickly explained the visions he'd had. "I see; well, that makes this simpler to explain, at least.

"How I survived…I played dead. Simple as that. I don't know why Jiao bought it, but he did. I lay there all night, didn't hear anyone coming, even though I hoped someone would. When dawn began coming around, I thought he'd be back, so I dragged myself away. I stole food and medicine from villagers, stuck around the valley until I was strong enough. I heard those rumors about a snow leopard being killed—I took it to my advantage.

"I heard how the people here talked about Oogway and Shifu, and I knew you were in good hands. I should have gone up to the Jade Palace to join you, but then I heard about what the Jiao had done to Wu Lien's school and students."

"You wanted revenge."

"This revenge I've been planning since that night. I expected to track him down and take him down in as little as a year—son of a bitch covered his tracks too well, I tell you. I expected to kill him, find Auntie, then join you at the Jade Palace, where we would all be safe, be a happy family, like it was supposed to be."

Tai Lung remained respectfully silent, letting him continue:

"I never did find Auntie, and when I got back to the Gansu Province—the place you were born, and where I grew up—everything was destroyed. There was absolutely nothing left, and no sign of what had happened to everyone except for charred bodies in a funeral pyre and sloppy mass graves along the road…Jiao was relentless.

"I did find him, eventually. About five years after I left you to Shifu, I tracked him down in Manchuria."

"Why didn't you kill him?"

Sonam sighed, "Weakness, it was my weakness. When I saw him, I saw him with his wife and sons. I intended to kill them all, until I saw who his wife was."

The younger leopard narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

"Her name was Ming Hua, and she was your mother's best friend." He paused to let it sink in. "See? For some reason, she loved him; I don't know why. She bore him seven sons, apparently, though at the time I found them, there were only four; Dalang was four years away from being born. Shang looked so much like her, and as much as I wanted to rid all the Jiao from the earth…I couldn't. I couldn't kill Ming's children. She meant too much to your mum; and besides, I'm no child killer."

Tai Lung thought about this, and felt a little better. Wu was right—there was good in his father.

"But why didn't you kill Shen? Because Ming loved him?"

"Aye, because she loved him," Sonam said, making a disgusted noise, as if he couldn't understand Ming's choice. "And if he died, his army would have turned on her and everything would have gone straight to hell. So I waited. I bided my time until she passed away—she fell ill, just like your mum did. By that time, Dalang was…five, six years old? Old enough to know she was gone, but too young for it to depress him. I admit, I saw a lot of you in him. I watched him since infancy—he reminded me so much of you.

"You have no idea how I feel, seeing you here, right now, and knowing how much I missed out on…Sure, I was there for some of the more important milestones: your first word was 'Mama', your second word was 'Baba'; I saw you crawl; you smiled when you were but a month old; and you learned to laugh not too long after. I knew you were developing quickly, much faster than any baby I'd ever known!"

He sighed, regret filling his scarred features. "But I never saw your first steps, or got the chance to teach you to read, to write. I wanted to teach you my trade, watch you grow up, be a blacksmith like your old man…heh, I thought I could also teach you swordplay, if you wanted.

"It's my fault, mostly," he confessed. "I should have just stayed…I should have joined you. I should have _been_ there to watch you grow…maybe all this misfortune would never have happened if I had stayed put, let Shifu find me, then I could have been there to raise you."

"No," Tai Lung said. "Dad, I can't blame you. I understand. As long as Jiao Shen still lived, we were in danger. I see it now; you abandoned me because you loved me too much to see me hurt. I understand…now that I have people to protect…" he smiled at Su Lin, who smiled back. "I understand. I would put down my life for them too."

Sonam let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks be to the gods! I expected you to be angry…"

"I just survived a hellish battle, am lucky to be alive, and now I have more friends than I know what to do with. It's a hell of a turnaround from last year, so I have no right to be angry at _anything_."

"Except you feel guilty about Shang."

Well, _that_ didn't hit the nail on the head. "How did you know?"

Sonam tapped his ears. "Sensitive hearing—I heard you down the hall."

"Oh."

"Son, I know you feel bad about it—I do too, I practically watched him grow up. But he's always been like that, always self-sacrificing. Just like his mum."

"When did you leave the Jiao? You watched over them, didn't you?"

"I did…until Dalang turned fifteen."

"That's when he was ostracized."

"Right. I followed him and kept an eye on him—I suppose, in my mind, it was to make up for missing out on you. You had been in prison for seven years when that happened, though I didn't know it at the time. I couldn't watch over you, but I could help him. He made it to this little restaurant in a tiny nook of a small village in Sichuan, and when he fell in with that family, I knew he was in good hands, and I could return to my mission."

"You saw Auntie?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"Are you _kidding_?" Sonam actually looked panicked. "She'd tan my _hide_ if I'd made an appearance! I don't care what anyone says; a tiny woman like her has more fight than any opponent I've _ever_ faced. Wu Lien's the type of woman who will beat you silly and then make you feel guilty for tiring her out."

Tai Lung laughed and Su Lin giggled. "It's true," she said.

"So you continued chasing Shen?"

"No." Sonam shook his head. "By that time, I heard about a warrior named Tai Lung…"

"Oh." Tai Lung said nothing for a long awkward moment, tearing his eyes away guiltily as Sonam's one eye glared at him.

"Aye, 'oh'. Now, at the time, I had no idea he was a snow leopard, or that he was a student of Master Shifu and had grown up in the Jade Palace. I knew everything about this warrior _except_ his species."

"So…you know about the rampage…and prison?"

"By the time news got to me, I was near Mongolia, so yes, I'm familiar with the prison. I kept my distance after a couple guards spotted me; I heard Jiao was in the area, so I went off after him. I tracked him for a few more years, and his path of destruction brought me back…and I was there that night you escaped."

"You were?"

"I just saw the explosion and the guards flying everywhere…your shadow in the fire, and that was it. I had no idea it was you. I just knew 'oh swell, Tai Lung broke out of prison'. But I hadn't forgotten about you. If he was on his way back to the Valley of Peace, I thought, then my Tenzin would be in danger too, if he were still there."

Now Tai Lung felt absurdly guilty.

"I would've gone after you if I hadn't found Vachir and eleven others lying in the snow…"

Okay, scratch that, now he was angry. "He survived?!"

"Just barely," Sonam shook his head. "I only helped them because I thought they could be useful allies. I was masked, of course—I've been wearing that disguise for three decades—so they didn't know who I was. As far as Vachir cared, I was just the bloke bringing him food.

"Word traveled surprisingly fast; we heard Tai Lung was defeated by the Dragon Warrior…and, to be honest, I held out hope that the Dragon Warrior was you. I heard the stories, how he was a warrior unlike any other, and was strong and noble…"

_Wow, awkward…_the younger leopard thought.

"…And he turned out to be a panda. A _panda_," he said, still in disbelief.

"Po's not a bad guy." He spoke up before his father got the chance, "But _I _was."

"I know. After your defeat, Vachir started running his mouth…he gave me your life story. Now, I might be old, but I'm not senile. It didn't take long to put two and two together. He said how Tai Lung had been abandoned at the Jade Palace when he was a baby, and was raised by Master Shifu. Tai Lung had been trained in kung fu, and was the first to master all 1000 Scrolls of Kung Fu. Kung fu was his life, and he desired the Dragon Scroll, and when he was denied it, he lost it."

"Not one of my _best_ moments," he agreed. "I know now I could've handled that better…"

"Could've, would've, _didn't_," Sonam said critically, sending his son a disapproving glare that made Tai Lung feel like naughty kitten. The scarred face suddenly softened. "But I learned the rest…you were imprisoned, and during your stay…well, Vachir seemed exceedingly proud of _that_, I must tell you. One of the dozen in that group even _bragged_ about…doing _that._"

Tai Lung felt nauseated; his own father knew…

"Well, despite what you did, and how you lived your life…a father can't take an insult like that sitting down. I bided my time, suggested we go to the Valley of Peace so the rhinos could get new assignments. When we got to the Thread of Hope, I suggested an alternate route. When I had them cornered…" he drew his finger over his neck, making a harsh sound effect deep in his throat.

"They're still there, right where they fell, if you're interested."

Tai Lung and Su Lin stared at him in horror; Sonam just shrugged. "I'm an assassin, lad, like it or not. I've killed my fair share, but not a single one of them didn't deserve it."

"No, that's okay…"

"Tai Lung!" Su interjected, utterly horrified. "It's not 'okay'!"

"No, it is…I'm glad Vachir's dead…I'm glad they're all dead. They can't hurt me anymore."

"And as long as I still draw breath," Sonam said, planting a strong, heavy hand on his son's shoulder, "No one ever will, ever again."

Tai Lung smiled a little; Sonam returned the look, then drew his son into his arms, holding him tightly. Tai Lung swore he heard the older cat sniff, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he answered quietly, the smile on his voice. "Just fine. Do me one favor though, son?"

"Yes, Dad?"

Sonam drew away, smirking with a satirical look. "Don't hug me again until after you've bathed."

* * *

Tai Lung grumbled as he walked with Po back from the bathhouse. That old leopard sure had some nerve! He had scratched and scrubbed all the dirt, mud, dust and dried blood from his body and was now properly bandaged up. Both he and Po were given fresh clean clothes, identical brown robes and black trousers. Though both of them silently felt that black would be more appropriate.

They made it back to Monkey's room, finding it crowded with all the people close to Shang. Dalang had not moved from the spot he had originally fallen, still grasping his brother's hand. The curtains were drawn, and a single candle lit the room to ease on the older tiger's eyes. The flame's light danced off the walls and illuminated the tiger's pale face as he slept.

Shifu and Wu Lien sat grim-faced by Shang's side, the Furious Five lined up behind them. Tigress sat next to her lover, squeezing his other hand to show she was there for him. Even Sonam had come out of his bedrest to pay his last respects. The look on the old leopard's face said enough; it wasn't long now.

Po asked Monkey, whispering, "How is he?"

Monkey shook his head sadly, "I did what I could. He fell asleep, and he didn't wake up yet."

"Can he hear us?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

Sonam whispered, his lips barely moving, "He can hear us…he knows we're all here, just as it should be."

Tai Lung knelt on Dalang's other side, Po next to him, everyone waiting, watching, hoping that Shang would open his eyes at least one more time.

They got their wish.

Shang's eyes cracked open, seeing only his brother. Dalang felt Shang grip his hand tighter, the tiger's breathing rattling in his throat. The younger of the two gripped his hand just as hard, wanting him to know he was still there.

"I'm still here," he whispered. "We're all here…"

Shang was silent, and Dalang wondered if he'd heard him. Then Shang smiled.

"Good." He gasped in one raspy breath, "Love you, baby bro…"

Dalang bit back on a sob, unshed tears flooding his vision. "I love you too, Shang."

Much too soon, his yellow-green eyes clouded over, glazing like polished jade in the candlelight. Dalang felt his grip tighten briefly, then slacken, until it felt heavy in his hand. Shang took in one last breath…and was gone.

There was a smile on his face.

Viper hid her face in Crane's wing, crying softly, and he pulled her closer. Sonam closed his eye and took in a slow, steady breath, clenching his jaw. Wu Lien and Shifu held hands, remaining strong for their students' benefit. Po sighed heavily, tears glistening in his green eyes. And Tai Lung just sat there, staring at Shang's still form.

The only one not showing any discernable grief was Dalang, who was still gripping his brother's hand, his face a mask of vacancy. He didn't cry when Tigress wrapped her arms around him. No. But when Shifu leaned over and passed his hand over Shang's eyes to close them, Dalang lost it.

The sob that escaped his throat tore through the hearts of everyone in that room. He leaned over his brother's body, tears staining the gauze bandages. He bit his lip, tears falling in quick succession, his body shaking with grief. His body hurt…everything hurt. Suddenly his body felt heavy, and he couldn't pick himself up. Instead, he wrapped an arm around his brother's still form, openly crying and not caring who witnessed it.

Tai Lung felt the room closing in on him again; when Wu Lien placed the white cloth covering over the tiger's face, he stood and abruptly left the room.

No one in that room blamed him.

* * *

Even the fresh air of the night did nothing to help him. He felt like he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't see. The same thought turned round and round in his head like an unwavering mantra.

_No. No, he's not dead. He's not dead. He's not dead!_

He was. He was gone.

The leopard let out a mighty roar and slammed his fist into the ground and fell to his knees, sucking in breaths, clenching his eyes shut. No. He was gone. Why was this affecting him so much?

_You could have saved him._

I know.

_He could still be alive._

He should _still_ be alive! This is _my_ fault.

He felt someone tap his shoulder and when he opened his eyes, he found himself back on the Eternal Plane, the crossing-over point to the spirit world. Oogway was at his side once again.

"Tai Lung," the sage said gently. "You are upset."

He only nodded. Words failed him, there were none whatsoever.

He felt someone punch his shoulder.

"Hey!" he snapped.

Then he heard a laugh. He froze. It couldn't be!

"Quit moping, already," Shang said. His vision looked to be the picture of health, and he looked as Tai Lung had never seen him: garbed all in white, relaxed, calm, and at peace. "Trust me, I'm in a better place."

"I could have saved you," Tai Lung said, standing.

"You did me a favor," the tiger smiled. He looked over his shoulder at an elaborate gateway, meticulously decorated in brilliant colors. White and golden light shone there with a brilliance unseen on earth. Through the light, two figures appeared, and Tai Lung recognized one instantly.

Nima stood next to an equally beautiful tigress, whose sharp green eyes glittered like emeralds as she spotted Shang. It was Ming Hua.

Shang grinned and ran to his mother, embracing her tightly. She patted down his headfur tenderly, nuzzling him, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mama." There were no tears between them; this was not a place for tears.

Even still, Tai Lung couldn't help the tears falling down his cheeks. Nima waved to her son, beaming. "I told you," she said; he knew she meant his father.

He wiped his eyes. "Yes, you did…he's always been there."

The female leopard smiled fondly. "I wish you had come to know us all…you had many aunts, and just as many uncles too."

"I would give anything to know them…but I want to know you more," he confessed.

She reached out her hand, and he could feel her _chi_ caressing his cheek tenderly, the only part of her that could touch him. "I will live on. Sonam will tell you everything. It is through the living that the departed are made immortal."

"Besides," Shang said, sending Tai Lung a wink. "I'll be seeing Dalang again, _real_ soon."

"Wait," the leopard said, worried. "What do you mean? Shang?"

"You'll see," he winked again.

"Shang!"

But Shang and Ming Hua were already walking through the gate, and then vanished from sight. Nima turned to him again and winked. "We'll be seeing each other again soon, too, love. Don't worry about a thing. We'll make things right."

Tears were still falling, but he managed a smile. He would do anything to see his mother smile. "Yes, Mum."

She waved goodbye, beaming at him like the late-spring sun, warm and comforting, before her own image faded away into the light.

The gateway closed.

But Oogway was still by his side.

"What did they mean, they'll be seeing us soon?" the leopard asked him.

"What did they mean? What does anything mean?" he asked cryptically. "Here, time is immaterial. It means little to us. But to you, it means just as your mother said. It is through the living that the departed are given immortality. No one is truly dead until they are forgotten."

The tears ceased, and he smiled, comforted. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"How did I come here? I'm not _mostly_ dead again, am I?"

"Anyone can come here, Tai Lung. I'm expecting Po at any minute, actually. This is the plane of meditation. In fact, I think everyone who was in that room will be here tonight."

"Will Dalang be alright?"

Oogway smiled wide. "And that, my boy, is what makes me happy…you have let go of selfish desires, and first on your mind is the welfare of others."

"Could you _please_ give me a straight answer for once?"

"Time heals all wounds. Having the chance to say goodbye is always important. Shang has found peace, and so through Shang, so too will his brother find peace."

"You mean a funeral?"

"Funerals are not for the benefit of the dead, Tai Lung…they're dead. They don't care."

Tai Lung made a face that made the tortoise chuckle. He continued, "Funerals are only for the benefit of the living. Even if a death is not sudden, we feel the need to say goodbye."

"Shang would not want that, would he? The funeral, I mean? I didn't know him that well…is it something he wanted?"

"What does your heart tell you?"

Tai Lung thought about it and looked around. His eyes settled on the Pool of Sacred Tears.

"My heart tells me that like it or not, he's getting one."

Oogway knew what he implied and nodded, "You have my blessing."

The leopard paused, then crossed his arms, sighing wearily. Oogway patted his arm, "Death is not the end, my boy. It is merely the beginning. Without death, there is no life. Without darkness, there is no light. Everything must have a balance. Soon, you will see their words come to fruition. You will see them again."

"Does that mean I'm going to die soon? That Dalang will die?"

"I cannot tell you what the future holds. But I will say this much," the tortoise pointed at him. "He will have three, you will have two."

A split second later, Tai Lung was on his back, staring up at the darkening sky. Oogway had sent him back, with an explanation as cryptic as always.

* * *

Three days later, he and Po were helping Dalang out of his black robes. The funeral had taken place earlier that day, a long procession leading up the mountain road to the Pool of Sacred Tears. Dalang had added his own tears to the hallowed ground as his brother was laid to rest there, a fitting place to honor a fallen hero. Shang's ancestor tablet was now propped up against the wall on top of a tiny altar Tigress had made for him. A single white candle and stick of incense burned in his memory.

Dalang's injury made it difficult for him to move; he had relied on the Furious Five, and the Dragon and Phoenix Warriors to get him to and from the burial spot. It was all for the better, he figured. His grief made it difficult to move already, without the wound. He stared blankly at the altar, his eyes dry, but he still looked depressed.

"You gonna be okay?" Po asked as they helped ease him into nightclothes.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I think I will be…eventually."

"That was a nice eulogy you gave," Tai Lung said, making any effort to help.

"I blubbered like a baby the whole time."

"It doesn't matter," Tigress said, hugging him from behind. "It was nice anyway. Shang would have liked it."

Dalang sighed and acquiesced as they laid him down on the spare bedroll. Tigress sat down next to him and held his hand. He squeezed her hand, grateful for her presence.

"I'll be okay," he repeated. "I just need some time."

"I know," she said quietly. "We'll get through this together."

Po and Tai Lung shared a look, and the leopard spoke up, "Do you remember when we first met, all those months ago, and Auntie said 'call him brother, and he will call you brother'?"

"Vaguely."

"Well…sappy as this will sound, if you ever need anything…"

Dalang smiled just a little and nodded, staring at the ceiling. "Thanks."

"Anytime, little brother. Anytime."

* * *

"I know Dalang's gonna be okay," Po said later in the kitchen. "But what about you?"

Tai Lung was helping him chop vegetables for noodle soup—the panda hadn't forgotten his promise to give the leopard the "best damn bowl of noodles I've ever had". Ordinarily, the leopard would have sat out. But he needed the distraction. Everyone did.

Wu Lien and Shifu were sitting in a pavilion outside drinking tea and talking, and had welcomed Sonam a few minutes later. His conversation with Shifu was strained at first, but within the hour, the two fathers were talking like old comrades. Crane and Viper had retreated to the bird's room when they'd returned, the waterfowl to paint, and the serpent to "assist him". Mantis and Monkey were off somewhere, probably training. Su Lin and Mei Xing had gone down to the village to collect some things from the restaurant, because they would be staying at the Jade Palace for a while.

Mei Xing had brought some of Dalang's personal effects, and other little comforts for him during his recovery. Su Lin had brought Tai Lung his journal. He didn't bother asking how she found it. Instead, he'd sat in a quiet place for a couple hours and wrote down everything that had happened, including his own thoughts and meditations. He wrote for so long he didn't realize how late it had gotten. The two females were sleeping soundly not too far away, in the next room.

"Done with those carrots yet?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, here…" he slid them into the pot of simmering broth and picked up some bok choy. He sighed, "Its funny, isn't it, that this is the first funeral I've ever been to?"

"Mine too, buddy. It was rough today."

"It was; I barely even knew him, and I know they say it's not my fault but…I can't help but think 'what if', you know?"

"You shouldn't. Remember, no regrets." They worked in silence for a moment, then Po said, "I think I know why. In a way, Shang was a lot like you. The life he lived wasn't the best, and he didn't always make the right choices. He saw a chance to redeem himself, and he took it and ran with it…"

"Literally," the leopard snorted, chopping the green onions.

"Exactly. He did the same thing you did—just, he took it a bit farther."

"So why did _he_ die, and not me?"

"Well, everything happens for a reason. Maybe you're supposed to stick around for a while longer?"

"And for what? After Jiao Shen, what idiot would try to harm the Valley?"

"The Valley? No clue; but there's always going to be other people who need our help. Buddy, you're the Phoenix Warrior—you really think you're just gonna get the title and not do anything with it?"

"I have no clue what it all entails," he admitted, adding the bok choy to the pot. He cleaned off the knife and put it away. "Special powers, new techniques…I don't get it. Maybe I need another philosophy lesson, or have a couple more near-death experiences so I can talk to Oogway."

"I don't want you to take it _that_ far," Po said. "Speaking of which, did you have another vision?"

"Yes. Right after Shang died. I saw him."

"Who, Shang?"

"Yeah…and I saw my mother. His mother, and my mother…they met him at Heaven's Gate."

Po smiled, "Was she pretty? Your mom, I mean."

Tai Lung smiled fondly. "My mother was beautiful." He finally told him about the two times he had seen her, and what had been said. By the end of it, Po looked confused.

"What did they mean by Dalang having three and you having two?"

"Damned if I know. Is the soup ready?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Here."

Tai Lung picked up the bowl and decided to forgo the spoon and just sipped right from the bowl.

"So, is that the best bowl of noodles you've ever had?" Po smiled smugly.

Tai Lung shot him a dirty look over the rim of the bowl, "You got lucky."

* * *

"He'll be fine," Wu assured the two men. "He's stronger now, in more ways than one."

"I never could have foreseen it," Sonam admitted. "Look at him: he's a man now…"

"A man to be proud of," Shifu nodded.

"He has reason to be proud too," Wu said, smiling at both of them. "How many men can say they have two fathers who love them?"

Sonam sat back, ignoring his teacup. He sighed, looking pensive.

"Something on your mind, Sonam?" Shifu asked.

"Not really, just thinking…"

"What about?"

"The rest of my life. I'm in better shape than I was when I was half Tenz—I mean, Tai Lung's age. I've got maybe another fifteen or twenty years on me. Now that there's only one Jiao left in the world—and he's not a threat—I don't have a purpose."

"It will take time," Wu assured him. "Tai Lung went through the same thing. He found his destiny, and you will find yours."

Sonam sat in silence, his broad shoulders sagging with another sigh. Shifu looked up at him, then cleared his throat, "You said you used to be a blacksmith, didn't you?"

"Aye, I was," he said, rubbing his eye patch gently. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason. We used to have a forge here, but it's been a few years since we had a good smith. Our last one was a true master—he's been gone about twenty-five years now, and no one's used it since. I can show it to you, tomorrow."

The old leopard smiled a little and nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you."

They fell into silence again, and Sonam saw Wu giving him a look. He'd known her long enough to know what she wanted him to do.

"Shifu? Thank you…thank you for raising Tenzin. You have no idea how grateful I am. I know you think you made many mistakes along the way, but they pale in comparison to any I could have made. He's amazing, become an inspiration to many, and I hope you're as proud of him as I am."

Shifu smiled, raising his teacup in a toast that his two companions joined him in. "Sir, you have no idea."

* * *

I know a few of you may disown me for letting Shang die. But, sadly, getting stabbed/shot/etc in the stomach is not a fun way to go. It is very painful and yes, very slow. Just goes to show how nasty Feng really was. This story is not done yet, there are still loose ends to wrap up. Besides, one way or another, Shang and Nima will see their loved ones again…

Please review!


	24. The Gift

Disclaimer: Don't own it, nope. Never have, never will. I own the OCs.

BTW! The picks of the **OCs are up on my Deviantart account**. Search for **ladyfoxfire**, in case the provided link doesn't show up, because FF's formatting sucks.

ladyfoxfire.

Not much going on in this chapter, but it's a nice queue into the last chapters. This is the home stretch, people!

* * *

Chapter 23: The Gift

* * *

_One month later…_

Much like the previous year, the inhabitants of the Jade Palace needed to make concessions to welcome a new member to their family. This time around, however, they had many more to handle. Shifu quickly realized more space was necessary, and hired carpenters from the village to construct a larger bunkhouse and kitchen. Besides, the place had needed repairs and general maintenance for years, and it seemed a good time to begin such a project. As long as everything was completed by winter, he had no problems.

The Furious Five, Po, Tai Lung, and Sonam all aided in the construction as well. Though not specifically trained in the craft, they followed Sonam for guidance: he had, after all, built the very house where his son had been born.

"It wasn't hard," he said one day while propping up a wall frame for an addition to the kitchen. "Just time-consuming, especially being the only one working on it."

The addition to the kitchen and bathhouse was completed first. Crane began the painting and Viper helped with the interior decoration; they had found themselves to be quite gifted in that field, and made a wonderful partnership.

Shifu had shown the old forge to Sonam not two days after Shang's funeral; the old leopard had immediately stoked the fires and began clanging away at steel scraps still dusty from years of neglect. He alone provided all the tools, nails, and other equipment for the construction project. In no time at all, he had gained the respect of everyone who met him, and he quickly became a favorite of the Five, who would sit around the dinner table, enraptured by stories of his travels.

One month was all it took for father and son to become inseparable; Tai Lung spent as much time in the forge with his father as he did in construction and training with Po. He admired his father's craft. Every clang of the hammer against the anvil sounded like a gong, every swing of the hammer a breath of meditation, a precise art. When Sonam had free time, he created weapons—marvelous swords with inscriptions etched right into the shining blade, knives so sharp they could slice a hair in half! He created intricate locks so delicate only a key the thickness of a hairpin could unlock them, and even the door hinges for the new additions were works of art!

"And why shouldn't they be?" he'd asked of his son, who had sometimes worked the bellows for him. "This is a beautiful place. Everything, from the doorknobs down to the very last blade of grass is pure beauty…I should've come here sooner!"

They caught up; Tai Lung told him about his training, the things he had learned under Shifu's tutelage. When he told Sonam the story of how he came to live with Wu, the old leopard grinned and chuckled, shaking his head; oh yes, he knew the old woman far too well.

They shared everything. Sonam told him everything about Nima: her favorite colors, favorite foods, her training, her family, anything that came to Tai Lung's mind to ask, Sonam would answer. Occasionally, Shifu would join them, and learn more about his student's past. Tai Lung was amazed how quickly and how well his two fathers got along. Sonam had a slightly morbid sense of humor and a wit dryer than the Gobi Desert, which Shifu relished in, for his own wit was just as sharp as Tai Lung had remembered.

By mid-autumn, when the leaves turned gold and deep amber, and the maple leaves turned a brilliant ruby red, the construction and renovation was completed.

Even better news still, was that Dalang had fully recovered from his injury and was back to cooking once again.

* * *

"But _why_ aren't you letting me back to the restaurant? It's my job!" he complained, leaning heavily on the table in the Palace's kitchen.

"No," Wu Lien said sternly, "Your only job is getting to feeling better! Besides, Su Lin and Mei Xing have held down the fort just fine. Business has never been better—what do you think has been paying your medical bills?"

"But what about the rent? Our lease is almost up, Auntie, will we be able to renew it?"

"That's not your worry, that's mine," she said evenly. "Don't worry. Before the New Year, you'll be back to work."

"Now I know why Tai was so ticked, this long recovery thing is _brutal,_" he said dismally, leaning on a cane. It was only a temporary thing, he knew, but he was still ticked he had to use it; the "old cat" comments from Tai Lung were just torture. But, he had to admit, he was treating him just like an older brother should. Tai Lung had kept his promise to Shang. And that meant embarrassing 'his little brother' any chance he got.

Tigress wrapped an arm around his middle, kissing his neck, making his whiskers stand on end and a goofy smile spread across his face.

"Oh come on, sweetheart," she purred. "I thought you enjoyed having me as your nurse?"

"I do, don't get me wrong, it's just…"

"As a matter of fact, I learned this new technique to help relieve stress in your muscles…"

"I'll bet," Wu said wryly, smirking. "Just promise to keep it down; I don't think Shifu wants to know _everything_ that goes on behind that closed door of yours."

Tigress blushed, but still smiled at the red panda. The two of them had come to an understanding: Wu would assist in keeping the extent of their love a secret from the master, and Tigress kept up her end of the deal by making doubly sure Dalang was fully recovered. So far, the plan worked.

_Wish I had thought to do this with Tai Lung_¸ she thought. But no matter—she knew about his nighttime journeys. About once or twice a week, the snow leopard had gone down to the restaurant to check in on the girls, and sometimes, Wu noted, didn't come back until the next morning. Now, she knew as well as anyone it did _not_ take him so long to get to and from Point A and Point B…so that led to only one logical conclusion. Not to mention, she heard how Mei Xing kept a surplus of a certain kind of contraceptive herb.

_Well, at least they're being careful_.

"But I'm allowed to cook here, at the Jade Palace, right?" Dalang asked.

"Of course! I've been missing your tofu dim sum," she nodded. "And I think Tigress misses those red bean treats."

Tigress grinned and Dalang shook his head good-naturedly. "Okay, I get the hint…I'll ask Mantis or Monkey to get those ingredients for me. I'll make enough to feed an army."

"Don't strain yourself," his girlfriend said. "Remember, this is the first time you've been able to walk unaided in the past month."

"I'll be fine. I'm still teaching Tai how to cook, and Po is usually in here anyway. I'll be okay with both of them around."

* * *

"No, those need to be _thinner_ slices."

"They _are_ thinner slices. See?" Tai Lung held up the slice of carrot. "You can _see_ through it!"

Dalang sighed, "Okay, fine, throw them in. remember, don't let the vegetables sit for too long in one place…hey, you're pretty good at this."

"A lot's changed while you were in recovery."

Dalang nodded, and sighed tiredly, resting on a stool. "I kinda wish I could visit Shang…"

Tai Lung knew what he meant; the gravesite was still much too far away for the tiger to walk. Travel to that spot had been hard enough on the day of the funeral. Tai Lung had wanted Dalang to stay behind during the ceremony because of his injuries, but the tiger adamantly refused; he wanted to be there, no matter how hard it would be. "Maybe its better this way, you remember him for who he was…"

"Yeah, I see what you mean. What they put in the earth was not my brother…Shang was full of life, energy—I swear he was pure _chi_! He just didn't stop, he always had to be moving." He smiled, and continued, just talking. Tai Lung listened, knowing this was important. It was something Dalang needed to do; Tigress probably did the same thing, too.

"I've been having dreams too," Dalang confessed. "I'm back at the Pool of Sacred Tears, and Shang's there. He looks happy, and I've _never_ seen him truly happy."

This made the leopard smile. "Think he's trying to tell you something?"

"I think so, but I don't know what. When it looks like he's going to say something, he disappears and I wake up. I think he wants to communicate, but I suck at meditation, so unless I sleep eighteen hours a day, I don't think I'll get the chance."

"It'll happen. I think he's trying to tell you it's alright. He's in a better place, and he's happy."

"Yeah…but I can't shake the feeling I'll see him again, and very soon."

Tai Lung expected to feel a chill, remembering what Shang's spirit had said to him. But strangely he felt…content. Like somehow, everything was right, and the things that weren't would be settled soon anyway.

He flipped the pan, this time catching all of its contents, not a single thing hit the floor. Both cats grinned.

"YES!" The leopard whooped, pumping his fist in the air.

Dalang gave him a high-five. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Tai Lung waved to Po as the panda entered, commenting on the food, "Nice! It looks great, Tai."

"I've had good teachers," he served up the dish, taking the pan off the heat. He looked down at his creation: stir-fried vegetables, mostly snow peas, bamboo shoots, red and yellow peppers, and tiny cubes of tofu thrown in and sautéed with a sauce of his own design. The leopard had gotten hungry late one night and was also consequently bored and began mixing spices, roots and sauces until he found a winner. He counted himself amongst the ranks of great chefs now: he had his own signature secret sauce, which Po and Dalang were desperately trying to replicate.

"Where're you going?" Po asked. Tai Lung had served a fourth bowl and covered it with a cloth. Dalang was too busy stuffing his face to say anything.

"I'm taking this to Dad," the leopard said. "Its almost noon, he's probably hungry."

"Yeah, good luck," Po said. "Even _I _have a hard time getting him to eat during the day."

"It's all in how you ask."

* * *

Tai Lung punched Sonam in the shoulder while the old leopard was sorting through pieces of iron. The blacksmith stared at the steaming bowl of vegetables, rice and tofu in front of him. "The bleedin' hell is this?"

"Eat it," his son ordered.

"I'm not eating it until you tell me what's in it," he said stubbornly.

"Its food and I made it for you; that's all you need to know, now eat!"

Sonam eyed his son with a death glare; Tai Lung replied, "I wish I could say that's the first time someone tried to kill me with a stare, Dad."

"Cheeky whelp."

"That's me," he said with an equally cheeky grin.

The older cat snorted with a wry smile and took the chopsticks from his son's waiting hand. They sat together on two stools far from the forge, next to an open window where the breeze ruffled their fur and cooled their brows. Sonam ate slowly, contemplatively. Tai Lung just ate what he had created, grateful he knew what he was doing now. Finally his father spoke,

"Of all the things I expected you to be…a fine warrior, a blacksmith, a father and a husband by now…seeing you as one of the best cooks I've ever met is a surprise."

"A _good_ surprise though, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Are you kidding? If you cooked like this every night, I'd be a fat old cat in no time."

"Po says you're not eating."

"Is that what the panda tells you?" he asked squarely.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Bull—don't play this 'macho' thing with me. I know all the tricks in the book—hell, I've written an introduction for the new edition! Something's bothering you."

"Alright, something's bothering me."

"Will you tell me what it is?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not ready to hear it."

"Again, been there, done that. Dad, Auntie's used that tactic on me, it almost cost us our relationship…don't risk it. Please?"

Sonam looked at his son, sighed, and lifted the bowl up, shoveling the rest of its contents into his hungry mouth. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. This is about your mother, and Jiao Shen."

_Oh no_. "Go on," he said anyway.

"Shen knew those were your mum's fans," Sonam said, thumbing over his shoulder towards the Hall of Warriors—Nima's fans were on display there, amongst the other artifacts of famous warriors; Crane had taken Tai Lung's charcoal drawing, as well as Sonam's description of her, and painted a picture of her. The painting now hung on the wall behind the fans, surrounded by illuminated candles.

"You're saying they knew each other."

"This is a simpler story, I'm afraid. No roundabouts. Pretty linear."

"Good, I like linear."

Sonam shook his head, "You already know Ming Hua was Dalang and Shang's mother, and your mum's best friend growing up. They were inseparable, the two of them, like sisters. Now, your mum was about twenty-five when we were married, Ming maybe a year or so younger than her. But Ming was already married by that time."

"To Shen?"

Sonam nodded. "I remember hearing about it. Her family had arranged the match without her knowing until it was too late to back out. At first, she didn't want to get married, especially to him. Nima took up arms and confronted Jiao Shen, telling him that she would fight him for her; if she won, he was to call off the engagement. If she lost, she would allow it to go forward.

"He didn't think he would lose," he remarked slyly. "That was the first time many of the males in our village had even seen her since she was a cub. Even Shen was impressed by her beauty. He thought she'd be an easy win…"

Tai Lung smirked, "She handed him his tail…"

Sonam laughed, slapping his knee, "On a silver platter! She was _amazing_…a pure vision, and what skill!"

"So what happened? Ming married him anyway."

The old leopard sighed. "Damnedest thing too. During the courtship, Ming had somehow fallen in love with him; don't ask me why or how, I stopped asking myself years ago. But, love him she did, and Nima was devastated. She had fought for her friend's freedom, only to have her throw it all away. It hurt her deeply, and she secluded herself from everyone. She didn't even go to Ming's wedding; she regretted it later, because she never saw Ming again.

"After that, she started wandering through the village, clothed in black and white as if she was mourning, and it brought a lot of attention to herself. Many men asked for her hand in marriage, and the thought of being stuck in a loveless relationship scared her more than anything. She didn't want the marriage she thought Ming had.

"She got fed up one day after the umpteenth proposal and challenged 'I'll marry the first man who can defeat me in battle'. Well, the proposals stopped coming, so she got what she wanted."

"Until you accepted the challenge."

Sonam shrugged. "I thought I had a chance at first—I was young, brash, and stupid, mostly stupid, like all young men are. She beat me that first time, I demanded a rematch. She beat me again, and again, and again and…you get the idea. I tallied every defeat, but that only made me want to fight her more—I was determined to show her that I wasn't going to give up."

"I'm guessing she didn't see it the way you did."

"No, she told me later she thought I was a pompous arse. She was right. I didn't know until maybe…the twenty-fifth defeat, I think, that she feared a loveless marriage. So, I stopped trying to defeat her. Crazy as it sounds, she became more human to me, and the more we fought, the more I saw her for who she was. She was more than just good wife material. She was dedicated, strong, graceful and elegant, a real lady; she was fierce and headstrong, the sharpest wit I'd ever known. She was beautiful, but smart—that's a rare combination, you're lucky to have found that in Mei Xing."

Tai Lung opened his mouth to protest that he and Mei weren't involved in that way, but he was cut off when his father continued,

"Finally, about the thirty-sixth time she defeated me—yes, I counted—she finally asked 'Why do you even bother anymore, if you know I'm going to defeat you?' and I said 'Because it brings me closer to you'. I told her I knew we could never be, but be that as it may, I was stupid enough not to stay away. I didn't know it at the time, but I think she might have started to like me that day."

"You were honest with her."

"Wish I'd thought to do that sooner—it would've saved me a few broken bones."

"What happened after that?" his son asked.

"Well," he looked guilty. "She got sick from fighting with me in the rain, which I felt guilty about. I decided to send her some flowers—there were these golden and amber flowers that reminded me of her eyes, they grew only at the top of this steep and treacherous mountain…"

"You mean to tell me you risked your life for _flowers_?"

"I loved her, Tenzin," he said simply. "Can't get any simpler than that. I loved her, and would do anything for her. I got a big bouquet for her, left it at the Lotus Temple with Auntie—Nima sent me a letter not too long after, thanking me. I took a chance and invited her to join me at this teahouse in the village. I didn't even _like_ tea, but I knew _she_ did. She accepted, we met there, and as they say, the rest is history. We were married a couple months later, and you were born nine months later to the day." The old leopard smiled fondly, remembering those moments, cherishing the memories. Then he sighed, "And of course, you know the rest of the story…"

Tai Lung nodded, "Yes, I do…"

They sat in silence for a while before Tai Lung spoke up, "So is that what has been bothering you? The past?"

Sonam sighed and nodded, closing his one eye. "Aye, it has…so many memories, so many missed opportunities. I've spent years wondering how it could have been different, how it all went awry…losing her almost destroyed me. Losing you…I sometimes wished the gods of death had taken me that night."

"All things happen for a reason," Tai Lung repeated; he needed to say something. Seeing his own father in such a depressed state was worrying him. "I guess it's stupid to think of it that way, but I think it's true. There's so much we don't understand about fate, chance, and the future…"

"Yesterday is history," Sonam said; Tai Lung froze as the older leopard continued. "Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why they call it the Present."

He stared at his father a moment before stammering, "W-where did you hear that?"

Sonam shrugged, looking bewildered, "I don't know. It just…came to me." His yellow eye flicked to the side, looking out the window; Tai Lung followed his gaze. Outside, the breeze had picked up peach tree petals—_extremely odd_, the younger leopard thought, _since its not even the right season_—and the scent of jasmine wafted in the air, sweet to their lungs.

"The damnedest thing…" Sonam whispered.

"What?"

"I could swear…no, it's impossible."

"What is?" he pressed.

"Jasmine, the smell of jasmine. That's what your mum smelled like. I used to call her 'my jasmine flower'…it was her favorite perfume, and she wore it all the time."

Tai Lung closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Yes, he remembered. From the dream—no, the memory—of the time he first opened his eyes…a sweet singing voice, and the smell of jasmine flowers. He smiled, "Looks like she hasn't forgotten us…"

The old leopard squeezed his son's hand, "No, I don't think she has…You know, I've been thinking."

"Shouldn't do that, it's dangerous."

Sonam swiped at him as he playfully dodged. "Watch it, boy. No, I was thinking about how you survived the Wu Xi finger hold…"

"And?"

"I want to guess its Mum."

"Mum? My mum?"

"Aye, her. Why else would the scent of jasmine waft around you everywhere you walk? How else could you have survived what Jiao Shen did not? It was divine intervention, lad, I'm certain of it; she must have petitioned the gods to save you."

"I thought you said you weren't the superstitious type."

"I'm not—doesn't mean I'm not open to possibilities."

And right now, the possibility that someone from Tai Lung's past had fed his father that familiar line was getting stronger; the peach blossoms confirmed it in his mind.

"Speaking of possibilities…is there any possibility you'd like to escape the darkness of this self-made prison and join me in the village? I need to run a couple errands."

Sonam looked around the forge, thinking about it.

Tai Lung sealed the deal: "We can stop by Auntie's restaurant so Su Lin can cook us a snack…"

"Let me grab my coat."

Tai Lung grinned. Like father, like son, indeed!

* * *

Su Lin hummed as she worked, making up large pots of soup and stir-frying in large woks, taking up Dalang's usual post. She felt completely contented for the first time in weeks; the work was challenging, but she nevertheless enjoyed it. Besides, her naturally shy nature made this job worth it. Being head waitress never truly appealed to her anyhow. Mei Xing was much better at it.

The female leopard instructed two other waiters to hurry with orders to certain tables, then checked off the orders in the roster.

"Okay that's done…we just got the checks from tables seven and nine, so that's taken care of…" she mumbled to herself.

She perked up when she felt a pair of lips touch her cheek unexpectedly.

"Now all you need is a midday pick-me-up," Tai Lung said.

"And boy, does he deliver," she grinned, hugging him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek in return. "What brings you down today, Phoenix Warrior?"

The leopard thumbed over his shoulder at Sonam, "Getting a few supplies for the Palace and giving him a change of scenery."

"Is it working?"

Tai Lung whispered, "He doesn't like the stares people give him…"

Ah, the scars. Yes, people would stare at him, she knew. It wasn't that they meant anything by it; he was just something foreign to them, a people who had never known direct warfare. Any visible display of such violence was beyond their comprehension. She shrugged, "There's nothing wrong with that…"

"People are going to stare," Sonam said, having overheard them. "Doesn't bother me one bit. At least they know I won't hurt them."

Su Lin waved cheerily from her position at the stove, "Hello again! It's nice to see you! Are you hungry?"

The old leopard almost refused until he saw the deadpan look his son sent him, the look that said _You're eating something if I have to hogtie you to the chair_. "Sure, love. What's available?"

Tai Lung tugged his sleeve, "Ask for her shrimp dumplings—guaranteed to hook you on the first bite."

"Oh you!" the panda girl flushed. "You flatterer! They're not _that _good…"

"Yes they are," Mei and Tai Lung chorused. "Don't sell yourself short," Mei said. "Come on, Sonam, pull up a chair. I need to calculate these tips and I'll be right with you."

When the two male leopards had sat down, Sonam sent his son a look, pointing at Mei, and whispered in his ear, "What did I tell you earlier? You don't meet a girl like that every…"

"I _get_ it, Dad," he grumbled. "I don't need you playing matchmaker with me."

"Honestly, what's wrong with her?" he whispered.

"Nothing's wrong with her," he hissed back.

"Why haven't you made a move?"

"She's not ready! Her ex-husband wasn't very kind to her…" he grilled out the last sentence through clenched teeth, annunciating each word to be sure his father got his meaning.

Sonam blinked in surprise, then looked guilty. "Oh."

"Okay, we're back," Mei said, sliding onto a stool by Tai Lung's side. He looked her over and she smirked, "Can I help you with something?" she asked suggestively.

"Just browsing," he smirked, and laughed when she playfully punched his arm.

Su Lin handed over a pot of tea and a bowl of shrimp-filled dim sum and got back to work. Tai Lung remarked to Mei as she picked up a pair of chopsticks to join them, "You've gained weight."

Sonam almost spit out his tea when he heard it. Expecting to hear a slap, he was surprised instead to hear…

"You noticed!" Mei gasped gleefully. "Su wagers about three pounds; not as much as I could hope…"

"You're getting better, that's what is important." In the past couple weeks, Mei's weight or lack thereof was a concern for him. Hearing that she was getting better after her rough past year was extremely encouraging, he had to admit, and she was looking brighter and healthier as the days went by. Not to mention, her wit had also sharpened considerably:

"Why, so that my elbow doesn't dig into your ribs while we're…"

He cut her off with a few loud faked coughs and a slashing motion across his throat with his hand. She just smirked devilishly and giggled.

"Aww, don't want to talk about that in front of Daddy Dearest?"

"Oh you can talk about it all you want," Sonam said. "But 'Daddy Dearest' doesn't want to hear it." When she giggled wickedly again, the old leopard turned to his son, "Has she always been like that?"

"Yup."

Sonam smiled and shook his head. How did that saying go, about sons marrying girls just like their mothers? Looking across the table at his son and…_was_ she his girlfriend? Sonam realized how very closely Mei Xing resembled Nima in manner and wit. The blacksmith was thankful his son favored smart women as well.

"So are you two staying for dinner?" Mei asked.

"Actually," Tai Lung said. "I was wondering if I could invite you to dinner. Tonight."

She looked surprised, "Well, sure, that's fine…"

"At the Jade Palace—I'll cook."

"You'll what?" she paled.

He scowled. "What? I _can_ cook…now, at least. More than congee."

"I'll believe it when I see it," she said warily.

He took her hand, "Let me make you a believer."

She looked up at him, studying his face, then slowly smiled. "I get off at seven—I'll be there by eight."

* * *

Crane spotted Viper going through her things, and gently knocked on her door. "Hey there," he said.

She smiled back at him. "Hi, just in time. Could you help me with these?" she asked.

"What am I helping you with?" he asked, stepping in.

Her romance novels were stacked on the floor. Her small bookcase was now virtually empty. She blushed a little and squirmed, "I, uh, was going to get rid of these…I figure I don't need them anymore."

"You're just going to throw them away?"

"Well, Su Lin said she liked a couple titles…and Aunt Wu, too, actually."

Crane didn't want to think about that. "Why are you getting rid of them? I thought you liked them?"

Viper sighed, shaking her head. "I used to…but now that I know what real romance—what _real_ love is—these just aren't good enough anymore."

He smiled, wrapping a wing around her. "I understand." He paused. "You think Tigress would be interested?"

Viper tittered, "Hardly! She's got Dalang _all to herself_…"

"Ah, yeah, good thing I found that book—"

"What book?"

He stopped, looking guilty. "Uh…nothing."

"Crane, what book?"

"No, its nothing—boring, guy-stuff," he tried to cover it up.

"Is this the book you got when you went to the market with Po and Tai Lung the other day?"

He paused, "Maybe."

"And I'm guessing they got their own copies too."

Another pause. "I will neither confirm nor deny that."

"Crane, what did you _buy_?"

* * *

In the other room, Dalang was showing off the generous gift that Crane had brought for him. Po and Tai Lung, both of whom had just returned from the village (Po had been helping his father at the noodle shop), were initially uninterested…until he showed off the pictures.

"Okay, we've done…" the tiger said, pointing out the images and occasionally flipping a page. "That…that…that one was _really_ good…we still have to do this one, though."

"Why are you telling us this?" the leopard asked. "I'm not sure we really need to know."

"Wait until you get to page fifty-two." He showed the panda and leopard the beginning of the chapter; their brows rose.

"Wow," Po said.

"Nice," Tai Lung said.

"Does Tigress know about this?"

"Who do you think pointed out the picture on page seventy-three?" the tiger asked smugly.

The immediately flipped ahead and their jaws dropped. Po took the book and turned it upside down. "Wait…is that even possible?"

"No, I bet it only looks complicated," Tai Lung said, flipping it right-side up and squinting his eyes a little. "Okay, I can see how it's done…"

"Really? How?"

Tai Lung pointed it out, "See, this goes here…you throw _that_ around and…"

"Ohhh…" Po nodded, "Okay, now I gotcha."

"Got any others?" the leopard asked.

"Last chapter—'Succulent Surprises'." Dalang leaned back, a smirk on his face, as the Dragon Warrior and Phoenix Warrior flipped haphazardly to the last chapter in the book. Po let out a long, low whistle, "Wow…"

"Doesn't look hard," Tai Lung said. "I bet Mei and I could do it, with a little flexibility…"

"WHAT are you READING?!" Viper shrieked.

The three males turned towards the door, utterly flummoxed by the fiery expression on the snake's face. She glared at the page, then her anger dissipated.

It was a cook book.

"Food…you're drooling over _food_?"

"Well, _yeah_," Po said.

"What did you think it was?" Tai Lung asked. Dalang just shrugged helplessly at her.

Viper didn't know what to say; she had assumed the worst, when she should have trusted her lover. When she had overheard "succulent surprises", she hadn't expected them to be drooling over pictures of an intricate dessert dusted with confectioner's sugar. She took the book and flipped through, and seeing that the pictures that Dalang had said looked complicated…were gourmet entrees.

She sighed, closing the book, and slithered away, "Nothing…forget it…" The males now swore they heard her mutter "Men!" under her breath.

Panda, tiger and snow leopard glanced over at Crane, who let out a sigh of relief. "So…the _real_ book is hidden, right?"

Dalang reached under his pillow for the 'pillow book' and cracked it open. Crane hadn't initially thought Dalang needed it—and truth be told, the master of the crane style didn't feel comfortable thinking of Tigress engaging in such activities anyway—until one night of drinking amongst his friends led to discussions about "experiences", and Dalang's desperate attempt to shake things up in intimate ways. Hence, the Pillow Book. "Mama didn't raise no fool," the tiger smirked. "Here are the _real_ goods…"

"Finally!" Tai Lung said, taking the manual with glee. Po snatched it from him a second later, "Come on, you actually have _experience_ in that!"

Tai Lung made a face, "Doesn't mean there isn't something new to learn. Dalang, you're going to let me borrow this, right?"

"Sure, if you have a good enough hiding space. I mean, Tigress is cool with it, but I'm not sure how Mei or Su would be…" Oh yes, Tigress was _extremely_ cool with it, especially after suggesting they try the technique on page ninety-three…

"Su would probably be traumatized," Crane said, sitting next to him, "And Mei…" he eyed Tai Lung for a moment, then smirked, "Actually, Tai, you might want to share with her."

"Oh, so my love life is now on display, is it?"

"It was as soon as we caught you two making out in the garden last week," the bird said wickedly.

The leopard made a face, hiding the embarrassment, looked down at the book and looked aghast. "Dear heavenly gods…how does _that_ work?"

"How does what work?" Dalang asked. The four of them poured over the image of the position in the last chapter, turning their heads and turning the book around to try and make head and tail of it.

"Looks perfect for contortionists," Crane said.

Dalang smirked, "Right up my alley."

Tai Lung scratched his head, "I'm _still_ trying to figure out the mechanics…"

Po pointed, "I _think_ I got it. See, there's the…"

"No, that's not it."

"Well if that's the tail…"

"No, Po, that's not a tail."

"…Oh."

"Is this a private party, or am I invited?"

The four of them froze at Tigress's voice. She leaned over Tai Lung's shoulder and stared at the book a moment. She glanced at Dalang and smiled suggestively; he grinned nervously. "Well," she said silkily. "I was going to ask if anyone wanted anything from the kitchen, but it looks like you're good…" she leaned down and picked up the book from Po's nerveless hands and placed it in her knapsack. "I'll just grab something and let Mei have a look when she gets here…"

"Girls _like_ looking at this stuff?" Po asked.

"You have _no_ idea," she said suggestively. The tiger master nudged the snow leopard with her foot. "I'll let you know what 'recipe' Mei would like to try…"

"P-please do," he stuttered, without knowing why.

After she had left, the four of them let out a long, slow sigh of relief.

"She was oddly cool with it," Crane said. "I thought she'd blow a gasket."

"Nope," Dalang said confidently. "If I can find a couple more copies of that pillow book in the marketplace, I'll have every male in this joint supplied."

"Why _is_ she so cool with it?" Po wondered.

Dalang gave him a no-nonsense look. "If you have to ask, you probably don't want to know."

They shared an uneasy silence. Tai Lung coughed, then said, "Don't take this the wrong way, any of you…but, Dalang, your girlfriend sounds _dead sexy_ when she speaks with that tone of voice."

Po and Crane had to nod in agreement, despite how uncomfortable they were. Dalang just grinned, lying back down with his hands behind his head, "Don't I know it!"

* * *

Shifu sighed. An afternoon alone to devote to his favorite pastime…he smiled, picking up his flute. All of his students were either training or otherwise occupied, Sonam had gone to the village with Tai Lung—a little father-son bonding, he assumed—and the Jade Palace was still, silent and peaceful. Plus, with the still-warm autumnal sun shining down and the crisp breeze rolling through the trees and grass, and with no one to bother him, it couldn't get any better!

He sat down in his favorite spot beneath the oak tree in the courtyard, taking up his flute and pressing his lips to it. Closing his eyes, he began with the first nostalgic note, soft as a summer breeze, flowing across the empty courtyard like high tide on the shore.

A few minutes into the song, he heard footsteps light on the ground. His ears swiveled forward to listen better, and learned that whoever it was, they were not walking toward him. He opened his eyes, and saw Wu Lien in front of him; he smiled. She was dancing.

During the battle, he had very little time to appreciate her grace and nimbleness. She showed remarkable flexibility and agility for a woman her age, and her movements were all precise, each motion carefully executed. Her fan was tucked safely into her sash, but it only helped him appreciate the beauty of her form as she turned and twirled across the floor.

Her every thought appeared to be on how she looked, but it had nothing to do with vanity. That was just the way of a dancer. They were supposed to be beautiful, elegant and graceful; they were supposed to have the quiet footfalls…

She was beautiful.

He faltered on a note when he realized this. She stopped and looked back at him, and a smile slowly grew on her lips.

"Don't stop on my account," she teased. "I'm just enjoying the weather."

"Just the weather?" he asked.

"And the scenery," she admitted, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Are all dancers such terrible flirts?"

"Only the lucky ones." She paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you know how to play 'the Courtier's Wife'?"

He did, but he was surprised she wanted to dance to that on such a beautiful day. The story behind the song was of a courtier's wife who followed her husband one winter's night, only to find him with his mistress; the wife died of grief in the snow. "No, I do not," he lied.

"You're a terrible liar."

"I know." He thought for a moment, looking at her, "Why in the mood for that song? Why not another?"

She sighed, thinking about it, "Do I need a reason to dance to an unhappy song? It doesn't mean I'm depressed."

"Someone hurt you once, didn't they?"

"Why do you care to know?" She studied him; he said nothing. She picked up on it right away, but wisely changed the subject.

"How about 'Blossoms on the Cherry Tree'?" she suggested.

He smiled at this; a song of renewal, of new beginnings and fresh starts. He lifted his flute and began to play. She smiled fondly at him and began to dance.

* * *

"I've been contemplating taking on students again," Shifu admitted to her later.

"The Five aren't enough?" she asked, leaving her hot tea to cool.

"I intend to ask them to be teachers as well. Po and Tai Lung are welcome too…" he paused. "And you as well."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Nonsense, I'm too old…"

"I'm older than you, and we both know men don't live as long as women."

"I'm no spring chicken," she said.

"You _have_ noticed how old we _both_ are, right?" he chuckled. She shook her head, "Who would want to learn the Lotus style?"

He sipped his tea, mulling over his answer, and when it came to him, he smiled slyly. "They don't need to know…they could just be learning to dance."

She mulled over his words, and a sly smile spread over her lips as well. "Just like old times…"

"Yes," he smiled at her, "Just like old times."

"Do you think we are all up to it?"

"Why shouldn't we be?" he asked. "The point of Master Oogway's teaching was to help the small and defenseless protect themselves from the hard and strong. If we agree to teach kung fu as it _should_ be taught, it will be continuing on his memory. I have trained few students, and…truth be told, training Po helped reignite my desire to teach."

Wu smiled at him. "Just as training Tai Lung has reignited my desire…to teach, that is," she replied quickly.

"Yes, to teach," he nodded in agreement, just as quickly. Both took long draughts of tea, slamming it back like shots of alcohol; both silently wished it were just that, it would have made this awkward pause slightly _less_ awkward.

Somewhere in the courtyard, they heard a cricket chirping.

"Oh this is ridiculous," she huffed. "We are grown adults, and here we are behaving like children."

"I don't know what you are talking about…" he said, avoiding her eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Shifu," she said. "We both know why we've been avoiding each other lately. So what are we going to do about it?"

He looked over at her and almost cowered under her stare; how did she do that? "Lotus," he said. "I…" he sighed. "I don't know. Truth be told, I've never been in this kind of situation."

"It's been too long for me," she admitted. "I am at peace with the notion of being alone the rest of my life. I gave up hope of that, years ago."

"Why?"

"Why should I? A woman's hopes are like fine jewelry. When we are young, we want to wear too many pieces; when we are old, we look silly wearing just _one_ piece. Besides, what man wants damaged goods?"

He looked at her angrily, "That was by no fault of your own, and any man is a fool to hold that against you. The only thing holding you back is yourself, and frankly, I am amazed that such a successful, intelligent woman as yourself is so quick to put herself down. Is this really the same woman who stared me down in her own garden and called me an ass?"

She cracked a smile, coughing to disguise a laugh. He smiled when she did, "That's what I like to see." He reached forward and took her hand in his. "Lotus," he said tenderly, "Forget about that past. The past twenty years have been especially hard for the both of us. I'm ready for a new start. That is, I'm ready if you are."

"Who would come?" she asked. "Who would want to learn from me?"

"Who wouldn't?" he asked her. "What little girl would not want to learn dance, to learn kung fu from the strongest woman to ever pick up the craft?"

"The strongest?" she scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "In over 900 years of kung fu history? I doubt that."

"What did I tell you about selling yourself short?" he scolded.

"Shifu, have you seen how vertically challenged I am?" She joked, laughing at his pokerfaced stare. "Fine, fine…I'll make you a deal. If you can find at least ten people who want to learn the Lotus style, I'll reconsider."

"Done."

* * *

Little did either of them know, and never could Wu have predicted, even with her years of divination, that within a month of Shifu releasing the news of her return, hundreds of women around China were lining up to learn the legendary style from a legendary woman. In fact, by the New Year's festival, she would have received more requests for training than Shifu himself.

And he could not have been any prouder of her.

* * *

"An apprentice?" Sonam asked the red panda curiously. "I don't know, I'd never thought of it. I always assumed my son would pick up the craft."

"He still can," Shifu said.

"No, he's content with his cooking—and he's good at it. What father would I be if I didn't support his talents?"

"But can he do both kung fu and cook? He's talked about taking over for Dalang in the restaurant until he's recovered enough to work again," the master said.

Dalang poked his head into the kitchen where the two males were talking, "If he did, I would love him forever."

"He's your 'brother' now," Sonam grinned. "I don't think you have a choice."

The tiger smirked, gingerly limping in with the aid of his cane and sat next to Shifu, who offered him some water. "Thanks."

"Where's Tigress?"

"Sleeping—she stayed up last night."

"I'll bet," Sonam muttered.

Dalang shot him a look, "I'm worried she's not taking as good care of herself as she has for me."

"She loves you," Shifu said. "And besides, once she has her mind set on something, it's near impossible to talk her out of it."

"Don't I know it," he said dismally. "At least she still gets exercise."

"And you?"

"I take walks around the palace, mostly. Auntie wont let me do anything more than that. And hey, doesn't Tai have a 'date' tonight?" he said, switching the subject.

"He'll start cooking soon, I wager. He's probably taking his girlfriend to a secluded spot…" That sounded weird to the master's ears. His son…with a girlfriend. Shifu had known how dedicated Tai Lung had been to his studies, to the point he all but rejected female company. At the time, Shifu had wondered whether or not it was healthy for a boy his age to abstain like that; then he'd discovered the snow leopard's excursion into the red light district. That ceased his worry about his student's…_desires_…and it also halted anymore solitary trips for his ward. Now though…

_No_, the red panda thought. _He's an adult now, and what he does is his business._

He had to admit though, letting go was hard. It didn't get any easier either; letting go of Tigress would be rough, since he thought of her as a daughter. With Viper, he had no fears. He knew Crane was an excellent match. But when it came to Tai Lung, Shifu still had his doubts.

The snow leopard in question finally walked into the kitchen, hurriedly grabbing ingredients and throwing pots and pans on the stove. He tossed firewood on top of the dying coals, stoking them to full heat.

"In a rush?"

"I lost track of time—she'll be here in an hour!"

"Relax," Dalang said. "You'll do fine. All you have to do is follow the recipe."

"No, some modifications needed to be made—some of these are the wrong amounts," he said pouring over the book as he furiously chopped vegetables. Sonam reached over to the cabinet and tossed his son a block of tofu, which he caught behind his back without looking.

"Thanks."

"No problem. So…you want us to make ourselves scarce tonight?"

"You don't have to…"

"No, it may be a good idea," Shifu said. "It has been too long since we visited Mr. Ping's noodle shop. Sonam, I believe, has never been—we'll treat you tonight."

"Great idea," the snow leopard at the stove said. "Dad, you won't be disappointed."

Sonam said nothing, only nodded in affirmation. Little did Shifu know, the old leopard was having his own misgivings about his only son being in a relationship. Considering the last time he had seen him, Tai Lung was only knee-high and in diapers, going from the memories of an adorable and innocent baby to a man with his own life—that was tough.

Shifu hopped down from his seat and took up his staff. "Well, we should be going. Good luck tonight, don't do anything ill-advised like burn the palace down."

"Hah, funny."

The other three males shuffled out; Sonam sighed and Dalang put a hand on his shoulder, "I can only imagine how you feel..."

"Aye, you can only imagine."

"Look at it this way—you'll probably have grandchildren soon."

"Please don't make me think of that."

"Why not?"

Shifu answered for him, "We don't want to feel older than we actually are."

* * *

An hour later, Tai Lung had the food on the kitchen table, still steaming from the stove. Now he was in his room, rummaging and nearly ransacking the space for—dare he say it—the right thing to wear. Of all the things he thought he'd ever have to worry about, fretting about what to wear on a date was the last thing that crossed his mind. He only tolerated trousers for the most part—shirts and other articles just got in the way of kung fu.

But this was a date—right?—and he needed to look his best.

Red shirt? No, too obvious. It was a celebratory color, not to mention a symbol of warfare…so that was out.

Black, no. Grey, too drab. Green? It didn't mesh with what he was already wearing.

Now he knew why it took women so long to get ready.

He finally settled on a shirt the color of burnished gold and put it on quickly. It was a decent shirt, not the best he owned, but it would have to do (what had Mei said, it brought out the color of his eyes, or something?). He threw the other pieces of clothing back into the cedar chest at the foot of his bed and slammed the lid.

Crap, he was late!

Mei Xing was also running late. She had only just arrived, panting from the climb when he reached the doors. "I hate that climb…" she wheezed.

"Join the club," he said, welcoming her in. "Food's ready, but its up to you where we eat—anywhere you want."

"You're actually letting me choose?"

"Why not?"

She thought about it, then smiled. "Why not the veranda? It's a nice enough night…"

The rest of the evening was relatively uneventful…until after they ate, sitting on the veranda looking up at the stars, and she suggested dessert. He wholeheartedly agreed, getting up to put it together.

She grabbed his hand.

"That's not the kind of dessert I had in mind," she said pointedly.

Oh. OH! He grinned, leaning down and sweeping her up into his arms. "Well why didn't you say so?" he asked. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling as he carried her into his room and shut the door.

* * *

Mr. Ping warmly welcomed his best customers with open arms, exuberantly exclaiming, "You're back! Goodness me, I thought you'd never return! Business has been so slow lately—but now you're here! Let me get you some drinks…"

"Just tea and water, Ping," Shifu said. "And thank you."

"Maybe you'll stick around to play mahjong?" the goose offered. Shifu nodded, "A well-missed pastime...yes, a fine idea."

Wu Lien took a seat next to him, Sonam next to Mantis and Monkey; since the old leopard had moved in, the three of them had become inseparable. They were fun-loving by nature, and cracked jokes left and right, and tonight was no exception. Tigress helped Dalang into a seat; he was so grateful for a chance to get out of the palace grounds that he braved the long descent into the valley. Wu was initially concerned, but recognized a change of scenery would do him some good.

Po came out and served everyone with his father's help, and they all sat down to a family meal. True to his word, the goose's shop was sparsely populated. It was mid-week, though, and most families were at home. One or two customers were eating, paid their bills and left, leaving the "family" respectfully alone.

Not too long after eating, Su Lin ran into the shop, huffing and puffing from a long run. "Auntie…Auntie!" she called.

Wu stood immediately, "Su Lin, dear, what's wrong?"

"I've got some bad news!" the panda girl showed the older woman a piece of paper. Wu took it and read it over; her face paled.

"He can't…" she gasped.

"What's wrong?" Dalang asked.

She turned to him, "The landlord…he's not renewing our lease."

"WHAT?" He grabbed the paper, reading in detail, then he growled. "That son of a dog! He can't do this! We've never been late on the rent, and we've followed the building codes to the letter! Why is he doing this, where does he get the _gall_?!"

"Auntie, we're going to lose everything," Su Lin nearly cried. Po pulled her over and hugged her, offering what comfort he could as her shoulders began to quake.

Monkey patted her arm reassuringly. "It has to be a misunderstanding…"

"Misunderstanding, my eye," Sonam snorted, crossing his arms. "I bet it has everything to do with Tai Lung having lived there…"

Wu slumped down into her seat, shaking her head. "No…he can't…that is our _home_, he can't take it away from us…he _can't_!"

"You always have a place at the palace," Shifu offered, resting his hand over hers.

"You don't understand!" she cried. "We've been on the run for so long, having the restaurant was the first time we could settle down…for the first time in years, I had a home, _we_ had a home," she looked sorrowfully at Su, who was crying by now, and Dalang, whose face was grim, eyes trained on the table's wood grain. "When we lived down here, with the villagers, we felt like we belonged again…I could never feel that way anywhere else…the restaurant is our home, our workplace…"

Po looked at his father and frowned. "Dad, this isn't a good time to be smiling like that…"

The goose tapped Wu's shoulder. "Actually, Ms. Aunt Wu, I have a business proposition."

"Ping, please, don't patronize me…" she said wearily.

He shook his head. "Never!" He pointed to the building next door. "See that building there? It's stood empty for over a year—no one wants to buy it. Seems they were scared off by Tai Lung."

Wu looked at him curiously. "What are you implying?"

The goose rubbed his wings together, smiling, "Well, I'm glad you asked! It seems to me, that your restaurant and my noodle shop are the two most prosperous properties in the valley, yes?"

She nodded slowly.

"So!" Ping continued. "Let's say Tai Lung comes down tomorrow, he knocks out that wall between the houses, we build an addition…"

She saw where he was going, and so did Dalang: "Combine the two restaurants…" the tiger breathed.

Ping pointed at him, "Exactly!"

"A partnership?" Wu asked. She stared into space, thinking it over.

"There's plenty of room in that house," Ping explained. "It used to house a family of ten! Rabbits, you know how it is…So there is plenty of room. All it really needs is some new curtains, maybe a fresh coat of paint…we can install a whole new kitchen, maybe one with a taller ceiling, so Po and Dalang and Tai Lung and everyone else can all fit!"

The idea was starting to warm up to her, she had to admit. She looked around the table, seeing all the faces waiting expectantly for her answer. Ping could be particularly convincing with his pushy but well-meaning smiles, but it was Su Lin and Dalang she was most concerned with. Seeing her adoptive children with their significant others made her decision easier; after all, a mother did what she could for her babies.

"Where do I sign?"

* * *

A month later, Mr. Ping's and Aunt Wu's was merged together, and officially reopened as the "Long and Feng Café" (the name had been Ping's idea. When asked how he thought of it, he just pointed at Po and Tai Lung and gave a little wink). The two houses were united through and addition connecting the two buildings. True to his word, the goose had asked for the construction of a kitchen with a higher ceiling. The house next door needed a major overhaul though.

The floors were nearly rotted through, the first floor nothing but packed earth. Wu had bamboo flooring installed: "It's a weed, after all," she argued. "I'm not in the business of killing trees here!"

The day after Wu accepted Ping's offer, Tai Lung had agreed to complete the demolition with Po. One strike was all it took for the wall separating the two properties to come down.

A few coats of fresh paint, some minor decorations, and a vigorous scrubbing of all surfaces in the place produced a clean and warm home. Wu was never happier.

The renovation convinced Po to convince his father to update their family home as well. Walls were set up, an addition added to the back, and the courtyard repaved with smooth river rock. Sonam made new tables and chairs, fixing old ones and repainting them in brilliant vermillion, sunny golden yellow, and vibrant greens, colors associated with the dragon and the phoenix.

Three months before the start of the New Year, Dalang and Tai Lung officially moved out of the Jade Palace and prepared to set up shop. A week after that, the Long and Feng was open for business, with Dalang acting as head chef, and Po and Tai Lung as his deputies.

At the Grand Opening, Ping and Wu sat at the entrance, welcoming visitors, loyal customers, and old friends with open arms. The red panda and goose shared a friendly hug and professional handshake between them.

Life could not have been better.

* * *

ONE MORE TO GO! Please review! I need to know if I totally failed at life! And please be kind when looking at the pictures. The sketches looked fine, but I fail at Photoshop, I think.


	25. Epilogue: Lunar New Year

Disclaimer: Last time I'm going to say it. I don't own it. Yadda, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah…

-Sigh- here it is, the last chapter. It's been one hell of a wild ride, and I want to thank everyone for joining me on this little literary road trip. But before I begin, I was wondering how everyone would feel about me doing a Shuffle of my OCs, sort of a way to learn more about them, their pasts, personalities, etc. Y/N? Just a thought…

Anywho, enjoy. It was a pleasure having you as an audience.

* * *

Epilogue: Lunar New Year

* * *

_Three months later…_

* * *

_New Year's Eve, Year of the Ox_

_So here I am, less than one year later from when I first started this journal. I took Su Lin's (formerly NGP) advice and read over my first few entries this morning. She was right; I have changed, a lot. The snow leopard who wrote those words back in late spring couldn't possibly be the same one writing these words now (FYI, "OH" is now Auntie—not OH, or "Old Hag". She would kill me if she knew I'd called her that. No, seriously. She would kill me, make it look like an accident, and bury me under her flower garden)._

_But, I know that snow leopard is, was, me._

_The valley has changed so much. I don't miss the Jade Palace. In fact, I'm glad I decided to move down here. I feel better not being isolated from the people. The Chins, and little Fu, stop by the Long and Feng (The Dragon and the Phoenix? How did Ping think of that, I wonder? Recall, I am very sarcastic creature) regularly, and that little rascal always brightens up my day. I make sure he gets his favorite, candied almonds, whenever he visits "Mr. Kitty"._

_Since the new restaurant opened, things have improved for everyone. I admit, Mr. Ping (Father of Po, the 'panda formerly known as BFP'…a goose??) has energy that's difficult to keep up with at times. But, he's got a good heart, even if he is a little overeager with those knives…_

_Dalang's fallen into the new space quite well. He and Tigress are still an item, and I wager that any day now, we'll either be dressing in red for another occasion, or we'll hear pitter-patter of little tiger cub feet, whichever comes first. Though I'm not really one to talk, I suppose. Mei Xing and I are mostly in the same boat, sort of. We're still not exactly a 'relationship' but maybe that'll change…_

_Po and Su Lin have gotten closer in recent months—there's no point in hiding the (rather adorable) relationship status. She's agreed to take over the reins of the noodle business for Mr. Ping when he retires, if he believes in retirement. Po still makes the best noodle soup I've ever had. But my crab wontons far excel even Dalang's dumplings—I admit with no small amount of satisfaction that he is extremely jealous of that. Ha!_

_The cleaning is all done around the house, and the brooms have all been locked away so no one mistakenly sweeps away good luck. The whole group is coming down here for the big feast, so it is naturally up to Dalang, Su Lin, Mr. Ping, and myself to feed a very hungry party of 13 (or is it 14?). Its one hell of an extended family, I have to say…_

* * *

Tai Lung looked up and frowned at his adoptive brother, who was fussing with the collar of his new red shirt. The snow leopard was dressed in a brand new red shirt matched with trousers the color of burnished gold. On his shirt, an embroidered phoenix soared up his back, the mystical bird's tail feathers embroidered along the cuffs. Dalang was similarly dressed, except his red shirt—made out of cotton, as even South China winters were still warm by his standards—had bamboo embroidered on it. Auntie Wu had done the embroidery for all the new clothes this year, and her skill showed.

"Do you mind? That's a little distracting," Tai Lung said.

"I'm not used to sleeves, thank you very much."

"At least you managed not to set them on fire…"

"Yet," they chorused. Dalang continued to fidget, looking in a mirror and licking his palm to smooth down the fur on top of his head. Tai Lung rolled his eyes, "Are you trying to impress someone?"

"Sorta, yeah…tonight's the night."

The leopard's eyes widened and he set aside his journal. "Tonight? Are you sure?"

"When is there a better time than to start anew than at New Year?"

"But is it auspicious?"

"Of course it is, I checked with Auntie," he offered by way of an explanation.

The snow leopard groaned, "Then you're going to have an audience, no matter how you swing it."

The tiger twitched nervously, taking deep breaths to calm himself, "Doesn't matter—I need to do it. If I don't do it now, I never will. So…how do I look?"

"Gay."

"Screw you."

"Getting plenty of that already, thanks."

"Please don't give me details…"

"Why? Don't think you need a few tips?" he teased.

Dalang smirked and shook his head, letting it drop. To argue during the New Year was bad luck. "Speaking of new beginnings, anything planned for you?"

"I'll think of something."

"I know you will, Bro. And by the way," he smirked. "Last time, we did it, oh…seven times?"

"SEVEN?" his brows rose in surprise.

"Yup," he said with a self-satisfied smirk. "Seven."

"How did you manage that?"

"Look who's asking for tips _now_," he teased.

Tai Lung scowled, "You're lucky it's New Year."

Su Lin popped her head into the room, "They're here! Come on, we need to get everything on the table!"

"Crap!" Dalang swore. "Gods, I can't do this…"

Tai Lung rolled his eyes and yanked him out of the room by his collar. "Oh no, you're not backing out now. Get your tail out there and do what you need to do."

"Shifu's going to kill me…"

"He'll get over it."

* * *

The extended family was gathered in the courtyard of the Long and Feng Café, all dressed in new red clothes and exchanging hugs and New Years greetings. Po hugged his father, who then went around to everyone else giving similar greetings, even to Sonam, who looked a little uncomfortable with the close contact from the goose.

Po smiled at everyone, thinking how much of a difference one year could make. Crane and Viper had arranged a wedding date, picking an auspicious day not too soon after the festival. The bird and the serpent were the perfect picture of a happily married couple, totally devoted to the other. Things had improved significantly after the waterfowl had stood up to his mother; he admitted later there was no small amount of satisfaction in telling her to go to hell. Mother and son had later reconciled, if only for the sake of the holiday.

The panda's eyes flicked over to the other couple—or soon-to-be couple, anyway. Wu Lien had made Shifu a special new set of clothes for New Year, embroidering good luck and happiness symbols into the fabric with dexterous skill. He wore it proudly, she hiding a flattered blush of pride behind her fan. During the autumn, the feelings the red pandas had for each other became more obvious, despite their initial resistance.

They complemented each other well: Wu's calm patience matched Shifu's need for control and action, and his dedication to his art brought out her own devotion to dance. He would play his flute on quiet mornings while she danced to the tunes; it had become a daily ritual for them. That's probably what did it. The perfect synchrony; didn't hurt that Dog people and Monkey people got along so well. Now they stood side by side, their happiness apparent, especially from the fond looks they shared every so often.

Monkey, Mantis and Sonam laughed loudly at a joke the insect had just told—probably a dirty one—and Sonam added one of his own; it made even Monkey blush. Wu smacked Sonam with her fan to get him to tone it down and behave himself.

Then the panda saw four people walk out of the restaurant. He grinned and hugged Su Lin as she greeted him, kissing both cheeks. "Happy New Year," she chirped.

"You too, Su," he said, pecking her lightly on the lips and smiling as she blushed as red as the dress she wore.

Tai Lung shoved Dalang in front of him, Mei Xing right behind him, both snow leopards sharing a smirk.

Dalang came to a stop right in front of Tigress, who looked absolutely stunning in her red dress with a bamboo forest embroidered in gold on it, a red flower tucked behind one ear. He was breathless for a moment, just staring at her, and counting every blessing, and thanking every god in the pantheon for her.

"You look gorgeous," he breathed.

"Thanks," she grinned, and teased, "You look good in sleeves."

He chuckled, staring at her. How did she manage to get more beautiful each time he saw her? Crap, this was going to be harder than he thought.

"Uh, listen, before we begin, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about…"

The courtyard was silent as a crypt. Everyone was watching.

_Oh hell_, he thought.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, looking worried.

He felt his forehead perspiring, his hands became clammy and his breath hitched. He knew he was going the right way for a panic attack, and he couldn't allow it to happen; he couldn't allow it to get in the way of what he had to do.

_Just get it over with. End this now…_

He blurted it out.

"Marry me."

She gasped, stunned. "W-what?"

"Please," he corrected himself, making it right by getting down on one knee and taking her hands in his. "You are my reason for being, my reason for living…you're my everything. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me…and I'll be damned if I ever let you go; I'm not making that mistake again. Tigress, will you marry me?"

She stared at him for an agonizingly long moment, fighting for the words. Then she grinned ear to ear, let out an excited squeal and pounced, hugging him tightly,

"Yes…a _thousand_ times, yes!"

The courtyard erupted into a loud collective cheer and applause as Dalang stood, kissing her deeply. He kissed away her grateful tears, "I thought tears were bad luck?"

"I don't think these count," she joked, kissing him back, hugging him tightly.

Su Lin sighed happily, smiling as Po wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sonam came to stand by Tai Lung and Mei Xing, all three leopards beaming.

"They make a nice couple," Sonam said.

"They do," Tai Lung nodded.

"Their kids are going to be _gorgeous,"_ Mei Xing said with a happy sigh.

Then something clicked inside Tai Lung's head.

_Besides_, Shang had said, _I'll be seeing Dalang again, real soon._

The leopard saw Dalang's arm around his new fiancee's shoulders, and his hand over Tigress's stomach in a protective gesture, and the revelation became clear.

_He will have three_… Oogway had said.

And one of them would be Shang.

Holy crap.

…_and you will have two._

…Holy crap!

Tai Lung suddenly grinned with this second revelation, "Yes, they're going to be beautiful children…"

"Who're going to kick some serious arse when they're older," Sonam chuckled. He eyed his son when he laughed as well, "I don't see what you're laughing at—you're next, as far as I'm concerned."

Mei Xing coughed a little, and even he had to admit he felt awkward. "Um, sure, Dad," he said—it was just easier to agree instead of argue with the old leopard anyway. "Whatever you say."

Sonam looked between his son and his female friend and rolled his eye. _Boy's got a head thicker than a brick wall…_

Mei Xing took a deep breath and spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention, especially Tai Lung's,

"Okay, the table's set, we have enough places, I think," the female leopard ticked off on her fingers. "Soup's simmering on the stove, dim sum's out with the dumplings…I feel like I'm forgetting something."

Tai Lung continued to stare at her; she looked stunning in the outfit she was wearing. He had noticed it not too long ago, that she had started to wear brighter colors, but he should have noticed sooner. She was happy, happier than when he'd met her, certainly, and now her clothes reflected it. Before, she would have done anything to hide her femininity. Now, she delighted in being a woman, and she showed off her natural beauty.

New Year's was a time of new beginnings…

She was easily the most incredible woman he'd ever known. She was smart, she was determined, and under his tutelage in recent months, had become a good fighter. It didn't hurt that she was drop-dead gorgeous either. After another moment of contemplation, he decided, _The hell with it._

"I know I'm forgetting something," he said.

Mei Xing thought he meant he'd left something in the oven. "Okay, but make it quick—OOM!" she yelped as he grabbed her and lowered her into a graceful backbend, kissing her firmly yet tenderly. His lips electrified her, and she could do little more than hold on for dear life as she swooned from what was easily the most romantic thing he had ever done.

All too soon, he ended the kiss, helping her back upright.

"I forgot to wish you a Happy New Year."

She giggled like an idiot, a goofy grin on her face, "Okay! Well, a Happy New Year to you too!"

The look in her eyes said enough, and it made his heart soar: she wanted this as much as he did. And, like Dalang, he'd be damned if he ever lost her.

Sonam bit his lip to keep from laughing;_ Perhaps I spoke too soon_…

Shifu's eye twitched a little. Wu just patted his arm, "You have to admit, the boy's got style."

He laughed, shaking his head. "I didn't teach him that."

"You sure?" she asked with a sly look. He coughed to cover up his embarrassment, and she tittered behind her fan.

Mr. Ping brought everyone back to the moment and hailed them all to the large round table set up in the center of the courtyard. "Well, dinner's on! Let's enjoy it before it gets cold! Goodness, this seems to be a night for romance, isn't it? Who knew it would be in my shop!"

"We should light a couple more candles," Su Lin suggested, blushing. "You know…add to the ambience…"

Po grabbed a handful of candles in an instant and Dalang quickly lit a match. "Done and done!"

Everyone laughed and sat down, immediately passing steaming dishes around. Once they had offered a prayer to the gods and ancestors, they started passing food around.

Under the table, Su Lin took Po's hand in hers, the girl panda blushing a little, but smiling sweetly. He kissed her cheek, whispering "happy new year" in her ear.

After he'd taken a few bites, Sonam nudged his son's shoulder. "So how soon can I expect grandchildren?"

"Dad!" Tai Lung admonished.

"I'd say next autumn," Mei Xing answered cheekily.

"MEI!"

She grinned, shrieking with laughter when he tickled her side in retribution. Sonam just shook his head. By the way things were looking…well, maybe he'd at least be a father-in-law by that summer.

The main course was over very shortly, and the chefs made their way into the kitchen to bring out their signature dessert pieces: Su Lin supplied a dish similar to an apple turnover, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, while Tai Lung brought out a large plate with a lavender-colored cake made from boiled taro and rice, topped with sugared almonds and pecans (he'd saved a small bag of the nuts to give to Fu the next day). Po supplied almond cookies (Monkey had graciously provided the recipe), and Dalang presented the all-around favorite: the sweet red bean paste-filled caramelized rice balls…dumplings…things.

Yes, months later, he had still not come up with a decent name for them.

That all changed suddenly, when he picked up the first one and held it to Tigress's waiting lips. She took it right out of his chopsticks and chewed, closing her eyes in bliss. When she opened her eyes again, Dalang finally got it.

"Tiger's eyes…Tiger's Eye dumplings," he said.

"What?" she asked, her mouth still full.

"That's the name…you gave me the inspiration for it!" he said excitedly. "Tiger's Eye dumplings—I _finally_ know what to call them!" he kissed her firmly, tasting the caramel and sweet bean paste on her lips. "Gods, I love you!" She grinned and laughed, grasping his hand.

Tai Lung sighed, saying to Po as an aside, "How many times do we need to rewrite that menu?"

The panda shrugged, "As many times as we need to, I guess."

* * *

A couple hours later, after dishes were put away and tea served, the group sat waiting around and staking out prime spots to watch the fireworks show that would be starting soon. The Long and Feng was in a fortunate location; the fireworks would be set off from a perch on the Jade Mountain and other high points around the valley.

Outside the open gate, children played in the streets with their red paper lanterns and set off firecrackers to scare away evil spirits, though usually it spooked the younger children instead. Calls and greetings of "Happy New Year!" resounded around the valley, adding to the warmth and cheer of the occasion.

Tai Lung had taken an original idea and perched himself and Mei Xing on top of the Long and Feng's roof, the ideal place for the best view. The female snow leopard leaned against him, his arm around her shoulders.

She looked up at him and poked his ribs lightly, smirking as he squirmed a little. "Hey…"

"Yes?"

"About the things I said earlier this year…"

"You mean comparing me to your ex?"

"Well, that and…" she looked uncomfortable. "For calling you fat."

He pinched her playfully, "Forgiven. I knew you were just being facetious anyway."

"You sure it's okay?" she sounded uncertain.

"You hated my guts, and I admit, I thought you were a mal-tempered shrew," he confessed. "So let's call it even."

She nodded, smiling a little, then rested her head on his shoulder.

"I just had a thought," he said suddenly after a moment of silence.

"You, having a thought? Say it isn't so!" she teased.

"Quiet, you."

She giggled.

He sprung his idea on her. "I've been thinking about all these traditions and whatnot…why not start one?"

"Like what?"

"A kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve," Tai Lung said suggestively, holding her closer. "What do you think?"

Mei smirked, "That's not a tradition…"

"It could be," he defended. "It could catch on, you never know…"

They heard the countdown on the other side of the walls. The fireworks would start soon. Mei snuggled closer to him against the chill in the winter air. "Hmm…I think it's already catching on…"

He looked down from their perch on the roof and saw the couples below. The three unattached males, Monkey, Mantis and Sonam, all ignored the couples' behavior, probably swapping dirty jokes again.

He was most surprised to see Shifu kiss Wu's forehead as she leaned her head on his shoulder, grasping his hand in her lap. Po and Su Lin's eyes lit up when the first firecrackers went off further down the street. Tigress sat with her back to Dalang's chest, the tigers sitting on the second-floor porch, his arms wrapping a blanket around them, kissing her cheek as they cuddled…

_Hmm, not a bad idea,_ Tai Lung thought, hanging off the roof a minute to grab a spare blanket from his bed through his open window. Mei smiled and snuggled close, her arm snaking around his waist as he wrapped the blanket around them. He wasn't cold, but that wasn't the point.

A little pinprick of light shone on the mountain, and a red flash streaked across the sky before light erupted into a brilliant red bloom of fire in the night sky.

He kissed her. The two snow leopards ignored the colorful display, finding much more enjoyment in what they were doing. He pulled her closer and she returned his kiss willingly, and ardently.

Below, Wu kissed Shifu's cheek, "Happy New Year, Master Shifu."

He squeezed her hand lovingly. "Happy New Year, Master Lotus."

Above them, Dalang nuzzled his fiancée. "So when did you want to do it?" he whispered to his soul mate. Tigress shifted a little, "Hmm…early Spring?"

"Don't want to waste any time, huh?"

"Nope," she smiled and sighed contentedly. She paused to think for a minute, then smiled wider, "Hmm…three…that sounds like a good number…"

"Three?" he asked curiously. "Three what?"

She just giggled and smiled, sensuously rubbing his arm.

He got the message, and grinned ear to ear, and hugging her a little closer. "Oh! Three…yeah, I can do three..."

Mantis tapped Sonam's arm and pointed up at the roof. "How long do you think?"

Sonam looked up and saw an equally interesting display, his son and new girlfriend silhouetted against the sky, their forms lit up by the lights in the sky. He smiled. "For a wedding, I give it a few months. A grandchild," he smirked, "maybe a day later."

Po also spied the snow leopards on the roof over his shoulder, and smiled. _Good, as it should be_.

"It's so beautiful," Su Lin said, breathless at the display. Blooms of red and gold fireworks lit up her face, and another rocket burst, showering down fire that resembled willow branches. Whistlers screamed through the air as others popped and sizzled, as more large round blooms burst in the night sky with loud bangs.

"Yeah…beautiful," he said, but he didn't mean the firework show. She felt his eyes and turned her head, her lips meeting his.

And so, New Year's was truly the time of new beginnings.

…

…

…

…

* * *

_Five Years Later_

* * *

_Excerpt from a Journal, Lunar New Year, Year of the Horse_

_So here we are again, five years after I officially returned to the place I grew up. If I thought it amazing what just one year could do, five has practically blown me away. I now have four full journals sitting on my bookshelf; Po wagers they could be published, to give people an idea what our lives were like, hundreds, maybe thousands of years into the future. Why anyone would want to read something I wrote is beyond me. It's been awhile since my last update (three months, agh!) so I will try to do recent events some justice._

_Tigress finally had her baby, a girl, adding to the two boys, Shang and Jin, both of whom are happy to be older brothers. Dalang couldn't be prouder, and I don't blame him. Little Ming is scarcely a month old, and it's striking how much she looks like her mother. The boys, we expected both to look like Dalang, but Shang more closely resembles his deceased uncle and namesake; if my guess is correct, then it makes perfect sense why that would be. Jin, naturally, looks like his father but is gifted with his mother's eyes. I still say that boy should be called "Fang" since he's got two fangs that extend past his lips (though he might grow into them)._

_The Jade Palace needed another building built to house all the students coming to train with Shifu and Auntie Wu. They just celebrated their fourth anniversary last summer, and everyone now affectionately calls them Yeh-Yeh and Nai-Nai. Shifu didn't like being called that at first, at least before Mei Lien was born._

_She's grown so much, but she's still—and will always be—my little girl._

_To think I was disappointed to hear Mei Xing had given birth to a girl, after wishing my firstborn would be a son! I could practically see my __male firstborn learning kung fu by my side, being a great warrior, and then to see my firstborn was a girl instead…_

_Well, of course that lasted about five seconds. When Auntie placed that little bundle in my arms, it was all over; it was love at first sight. What can I say? She has me wrapped around her little finger. Mei laughed when I told her "Li-Li" (named for her mother and 'paternal' grandmother, a.k.a., Wu Lien Li-Li's name means "beautiful lotus") was the new girl in my life._

_Speaking of Mei, she's still recovering from her last pregnancy. We settled on a name (finally): Tai Shan, "peaceful mountain". Fitting, since he's only two months old and is the quietest baby (otherwise he has a healthy set of lungs on him). It worried us for a while, until we saw how quickly he was developing. Just like me at that age, Dad said. He looks like me too—it's uncanny. Whereas Li-Li got Mei's eyes, Tai Shan looks like me through and through, right down to the nose, fingers and toes._

_Dad's still the Jade Palace's blacksmith, and loves his work. He sees Mei Lien weekly, and of course, my little girl never misses out on a chance to see her Yeh-Yeh Shifu and Nai-Nai Wu. Though sometimes "Pop-Pop" is more fun, she says. Four years old already, when did that happen?_

_Now she wants to learn kung fu. I told her I'd think about it; precocious little thing told me "Baba, I know that means 'no'!" So I told her to ask her mother. She didn't buy that either. So now she starts training with Tigress in the fall, along with her primary education at the village school. I swear Li-Li's too smart, I don't know where she gets it. At least she's in good company: she and young Shang might as well be attached at the hip._

_Mr. Ping unofficially retired last year, of course, with Su Lin taking over the noodle half of the Long and Feng. Oh! Completely forgot to mention: Su and Po are finally engaged! (Took them long enough—five years? Seriously?). They decided not to have children right away—they want there to be room for them. My guess is a large family is in the plans._

_Speaking of large families, Crane and Viper have their fair share of kids now: eight, to be exact. There was an earthquake in the Western part of the empire, not too long ago, and many orphans were sent here since they couldn't be sustained there. Crane and Viper, being who they are, immediately adopted as many as they could, and couldn't be happier._

_Speaking of training: the Jade Palace now has dormitories here in the valley. Auntie needed to set up her own studio to teach the Lotus style. She has classes at full capacity, well over 150 students of all species, from all walks of life, from all across China. Master Shifu has taken on at least 200, interspersing them amongst the Five—and Dad, who's started to teach swordsmanship—so they all get equal treatment and attention. The goal is to train as many masters as possible, then send them out into the world, spreading the art as far as it can go._

_I know I'm rambling. Believe me, there's a lot to remember…_

* * *

Tai Lung was halted by the long wail coming from the other room. Sighing, he set his brush down and took a few strides to the door. Mei Xing stirred in their bed; he stopped to kiss his wife's forehead, "I've got it, you get some more rest."

She smiled and kissed him back before falling back into bed and into slumber. He slipped out of the room and across the hall, opening the door to the nursery. His son had been born with a healthy set of lungs, and heaven knew he'd probably be a strong as his father one day, if the volume of those cries were any indication.

Little Mei Lien was sitting up in bed, grasping the paw of her stuffed panda toy and rubbing her tired eyes, "Baba, Tai's bein' loud again…"

"I know, love, just go back to sleep, okay? We're still going to see Yeh-Yeh and Nai-Nai and Pop-Pop again today. I'll wake you up in a little bit." He chuckled as she fell back in bed, curling up into a fluffy little ball of downy fuzz around her stuffed animal. Su had made a stuffed panda doll for her after she was born, remarkably similar to the same stuffed animal Tai Lung had owned in his youth; after Tai Shan was born, the little cub inherited Ping.

He smiled down at his daughter, smoothing the fur on her head as he tucked her in, she hugging her teddy bear closer.

He remembered his father had noted how similar Li-Li resembled Nima in looks; the words Nima had spoken to him in his dream state were immediately clear. She had seen her son again, very soon. And he saw his mother, every day, whenever he looked into his daughter's face.

Now he turned his attention to the crib in the corner, reaching inside and carefully picking up his infant son. "Shh, shh, shh, easy now, Baba's here. Shh…go on now, easy on there…I bet someone's hungry, isn't he?"

Tai Shan's cries tapered off now that someone was holding him; he opened his wide innocent eyes and stared up at his father, his little arms reaching out, and legs kicking excitedly. He looked around with the same sharp, inquisitive eyes that had belonged to his father, and his grandmother, Nima.

Tai Lung would never get over how much he loved his children. Holding his son in his arms, he slipped out of the room to feed him. He took him down into the kitchen, holding the little cub close. After heating something for the baby, father and son sat at the kitchen table so the child could eat. The tiny little cub in his arms sucked on the bottle greedily, his little body curling around an object almost as long as he was, starting to quiet down now that his hunger was satisfied. A healthy little burp later and the cub was right as rain, and Tai Lung rocked his infant son in his arms until Tai Shan fell right back asleep.

Mei Xing downstairs a moment later, wrapping her arms around her husband's shoulders, both of them smiling down at their little boy. She laughed softly.

"What is it?" he whispered, not wanting to wake the baby.

"Can you imagine," she whispered back, "If five years ago, someone told us that we'd be standing here today, married, two kids, and a huge family that loved us, would you believe them?"

"Hell no," he snorted, still smiling. "But I don't mind being wrong."

"Nope, not at all," she kissed his cheek lovingly and nuzzled him. Tai Shan slept on; a moment later, Mei Lien woke up and joined her mother and father in the kitchen, just as her Uncle Dalang and Aunt Tigress came out of their bedroom to begin preparations for the New Year's feast that night.

Tigress carried little Ming, with Shang and Jin shuffling out of their room behind her. Dalang patted his surrogate brother's shoulder, winking. "Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready," he said, standing. Mei Xing took Tai Shan into her arms and carried him back up to his crib.

Both Shang and Mei Lien bounced up and down excitedly, "Can we help? Can we help?"

"_Please_, Dad?" Shang begged, tugging on his father's pant leg.

Dalang and Tai Lung shared a look, then smiled, "Sure," the tiger said, "Let's get you kids set up with something."

"Just remember to be quiet," Tigress warned. "Let's not wake the babies…"

Jin, who was two, cutely put a little finger to his lips, pantomiming quiet, and followed his brother and "cousin" to the stove where Dalang was stoking up the fire.

A few minutes later, Tai Lung grinned when he heard Po call out, "Hey, Happy New Year, everybody!"

Tai Lung grinned as the kids ran helter-skelter to greet their 'Uncle Po' and 'Aunt Su'. Not too long after, Shifu and Wu Lien came in, all three kids crying out "YEH-YEH! NAI-NAI!" as they hugged the red pandas. In no time at all, the rest of the Furious Five, Sonam and the Chin family too with six-year-old Fu, now warmly populated the Long and Feng's kitchen, from the oldest adult, to the smallest child. Tai Lung sighed happily.

He finally had a family, a real family.

Yes. Yes, it was a Happy New Year indeed.

* * *

_End_

* * *

I can't believe it's over already! What a wild ride, right? After much contemplation, I figure I'll skip on having a sequel. I'm notorious for starting them and never finishing them. So, for posterity's sake, I'm just going to leave this as is. This probably won't be the last time I write for this fandom, but it's likely the last of this fic-verse. I hope everyone enjoyed reading, it was a pleasure to have you all as an audience. -bows- from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you!

- Luna


End file.
